Common Greenbriar
Encyclopedia
Common Greenbriar also known as Common Greenbrier, is a common woody vine native to the Eastern United States
[1]. The leaves are glossy green, petioled, alternate, and circular to heart-shaped. They are generally 5-13 cm long. Common greenbriar climbs other plants using green tendrils growing out of the petioles
.
The stems are round, green and have sharp spines. The flowers are greenish, and are seen from April to August, the fruit they produce are bluish black berries that become ripe in September .
. When it is growing around a clearing, it often forms dense and impassable thickets . It grows throughout the Eastern United States, as far north as Illinois, south to Florida and as far west as Texas .
The young shoots of common greenbriar are reported to be excellent when cooked like asparagus
. The young leaves and tendrils can be prepared like spinach
or added directly to salads . The roots have natural gelling agent in them that can be extracted and used as a thickening agent .
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
[1]. The leaves are glossy green, petioled, alternate, and circular to heart-shaped. They are generally 5-13 cm long. Common greenbriar climbs other plants using green tendrils growing out of the petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
.
The stems are round, green and have sharp spines. The flowers are greenish, and are seen from April to August, the fruit they produce are bluish black berries that become ripe in September .
Cultivation and uses
Common greenbriar grows in roadsides, landscapes, clearings and woodsWoodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
. When it is growing around a clearing, it often forms dense and impassable thickets . It grows throughout the Eastern United States, as far north as Illinois, south to Florida and as far west as Texas .
The young shoots of common greenbriar are reported to be excellent when cooked like asparagus
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...
. The young leaves and tendrils can be prepared like spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
or added directly to salads . The roots have natural gelling agent in them that can be extracted and used as a thickening agent .