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[title size=”2″]Greenbriar[/title]

The greenbriar is found throughout eastern North America. The plant is known by many other names and can also be spelled as greenbrier with an “e.” The greenbriar is a vine that has the ability to grow in many different ways and is most easily identified by its tough and thorny stems.  The greenbriar’s leaves are heart-shaped and are an average of 5 inches long with a smooth and leathery texture. This plant needs a medium amount of sunlight and a good amount of water and is therefore typically found near streams and ponds, although since it is a vine it can also be found in the center of open forests as well. As a vine it can grow up to thirty feet long when attached to a tree. In isolation, the greenbriar grows in the form of a small shrub. It can also grow on other trees and bushes. Together greenbriars can form a briar patch or a thicket that is difficult to pass through due to its thorns and the strength of its stem. Greenbriars produce tiny green flowers in May and June, which give off a strong but unpleasant fragrance. This scent attracts blue bottle flies that facilitate pollination. In the fall and throughout the winter, the plant produces bluish-black berries which are eaten by many birds and small mammals. Greenbriars are an important part of the forest ecosystem of the Ozarks. They provide cover for small animals and birds that call the thickets home. Not only are the greenbriar’s fruit eaten by animals but their leaves are also consumed by deer and beavers.

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Smilax rotundifolia

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