Sun: Full to shade
Moisture: Dry to medium
Height: Climbing or horizontal vine, up to 60' long
Genotype: Ypsilanti Township, Washtenaw County.
Indigenous interactions: In the Great Lakes area, the Meskwaki made a decoction of the root to aid diarrhea (Moerman, 1998).
 
This native vine provides food for wildlife and a stunning show of red leaves and blue berries in the fall. Its tiny white and green flowers attract bees, and it is a host plant for several of the beautiful Sphinx Moth species. The vine can be trained on a trellis or allowed to ramble over the ground as a groundcover. Associated with Mesic Southern Forest and Dry-Mesic Southern Forest plant communities.
 
Note: consumption of berries or leaves, which contain oxalate crystals, can produce mouth irritation, nausea, and vomiting. Some people report irritation upon contact with the plant's sap.