Blue Ridge Carrionflower
Smilax lasioneura
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Smilacaceae
- Genus:
- Smilax
- Species:
- Smilax lasioneura
- USDA Symbol:
- SMLA3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Vine
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- green, yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
inimical borer moth (Pseudogalleria inimicella), leaf tier moth (Acrolepiopsis incertella), meadow rue borer (Papaipema unimoda)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes following fire. Common in fire-maintained pine and oak woodlands.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers woodland and forest edges
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–180 days
- Notes:
- Seeds have double dormancy and may take 1-2 years to germinate. Warm stratification followed by cold stratification improves germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI