Carolina Moonseed
September 2012
Do you happen to know what type of vine is in the attached picture? It is growing
up the side of a redbud tree. I think it is quite pretty with all the berries. Will
it harm the tree?
The plant in question is commonly called Carolina Moonseed, or Coralbead - Cocculus carolinus. This deciduous native vine goes unnoticed until the fall when it produces the lush,
showy red berries. Birds eat the fruit and deposit the seeds, and the plants grow
where they will. Some gardeners find them invasive and try to eradicate them. I like
the fall berries, but would try to grow the vine on a trellis or fence, not in the
tree.