Monday, November 22, 2010

Decorating with Oriental Bittersweet

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), originally from Asia, was brought to the United States in the late 1800s as an ornamental plant. Its bright orange roots and thick cluster of berries that grow along its dark brown vines make it beautiful to decorate with, especially around Thanksgiving. The trouble is that this invasive species and its little berries is an "ecological time bomb" that is waiting to spread and destroy the ecosystem. Click here to read more about the dangers of decorating and moving oriental bittersweet.