Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Smilacaceae

Genus:

Smilax

Species:

Smilax ecirrhata

USDA Symbol:

SMEC

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb , Vine

Height:

100 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

yellow, green

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes following fire; historically associated with fire-maintained oak woodlands and savannas.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers woodland environments with organic matter

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–120 days

Germination Time:

30–365 days

Notes:

Seeds may exhibit double dormancy requiring warm followed by cold stratification. Germination can be erratic and may take over a year.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI