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Oriental bittersweet vine engulfs an apple tree in August

Oriental Bittersweet Vines Have Alternate  Leaves

The vine of oriental bittersweet aggressively entwines and smothers trees and other plants; leaves are alternate, round and glossy; roots are bright orange; flowers are small and greenish-yellow; and fruits are pea-sized capsules that change from green to bright yellow and split open when ripe in late autumn, revealing a bright red berry within.

Berries change from yellow to red in October

For small bittersweet vines, their bright orange roots should be uprooted with the help of large linesman’s pliers or a weed wrench. Once uprooted, vines can remain to die on the host tree before fruit appears. 

Oriental bittersweet vines become overwhelming

Vines with berries, which will survive through the winter, should be removed, bagged, and disposed of.  Click Vine Removal for details. 

The orange-tinted bark of Oriental bittersweet root

If the vines are small enough to uproot, do so when the ground is damp. Otherwise, cut very thick vines at or near the ground with a folding limb saw, battery-operated sawzall (reciprocating saw with limb saw blade) or even a chain saw for excessively thick vines.  Unless vines have berries, the severed vines may be left off the ground to dry. 

A mature Oriental bittersweet vine resembles a python

If the roots of thick vines remain in the ground, one option to kill them is to wrap and tie a black plastic bag around the stump, or staple black plastic sheeting into the ground over the ground-cut vine with landscape staples, and allow the plastic to remain in place for at least a year.