Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Smilacaceae

Genus:

Smilax

Species:

Smilax laurifolia

USDA Symbol:

SMLA

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Vine

Height:

900 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

jul,aug,sep

Bloom Colors:

white, green

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from extensive rhizome system following fire. Common in fire-maintained wetland and pine savanna ecosystems.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, acidic, nutrient-rich organic soil

pH:

4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

commonly found in wetlands and swamps

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

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

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–365 days

Notes:

Germination is erratic and may take over a year. Seeds require warm stratification followed by cold stratification, and scarification improves rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI