# Rough Bindweed (*Smilax aspera*)

Rough Bindweed is a climbing plant with thick, green leaves and pretty white flowers. It loves to grow in sunny places and can wrap around other plants as it climbs up towards the sun.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![Rough Bindweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Smilax_aspera.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smilax_aspera.jpg)

## Appearance

The Rough Bindweed is a scrambling, thorny vine with glossy, dark green, heart-shaped or triangular leaves. Its stems are armed with sharp prickles, giving it a distinctive 'rough' feel. Small, pale green to white flowers appear in clusters, later developing into bright red berries.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Liliales
- **Family:** Smilacaceae
- **Genus:** Smilax

## Interesting facts

- Ancient people in some cultures used parts of this tough vine for medicine!
- It can live for many years, making it a very durable and resilient plant!
- Its name 'Smilax' comes from a Greek myth about a powerful nymph!
- The plant's bright red berries are a vital winter feast for many birds!

## Special abilities

- **Thorny Defender:** Rough Bindweed has sharp prickles along its stems and leaves that help it cling to other plants and defend itself from grazing animals.
- **Climbing Gripper:** This vine can grow incredibly tall using its strong tendrils to wrap around trees and shrubs, reaching sunlight in dense forests.
- **Evergreen Survivor:** The Rough Bindweed keeps its tough, leathery leaves all year long, allowing it to make food even when other plants lose theirs.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-500 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to autumn
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — Berries provide vital winter food for this bird.
- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Its small flowers are visited by bees for nectar and pollen.
- **Shelter:** [Blackcap](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blackcap) (*Sylvia atricapilla*) — Dense thorny vines offer protected nesting sites for small birds.

## Traits

- [Climbing/Vine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/climbing-vine): Climbing or vine plants are characterized by a growth habit that allows them to ascend upwards by twining, tendrils, or adhesive roots.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Don't eat any plants unless an adult says it's safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Rough Bindweed?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Rough Bindweed?

100-500 cm

### How big are the flowers on Rough Bindweed?

0.3-0.5 cm

### When does Rough Bindweed bloom?

Late summer to autumn

### Is Rough Bindweed edible?

No

### Is Rough Bindweed toxic?

Mild

### What is Rough Bindweed's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Rough Bindweed pollinated?

Insect

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Rough Bindweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rough-bindweed)