Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Smilacaceae

Genus:

Smilax

Species:

Smilax walteri

USDA Symbol:

SMWA

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Vine

Height:

600 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

green, yellow

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. Often found in fire-maintained wetland and swamp margins.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, well-drained, fertile soil

pH:

5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

commonly found in wetland areas

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–365 days

Notes:

Seeds exhibit double dormancy and may take over a year to germinate. Warm stratification followed by cold stratification improves germination rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI