How to Identify a Climbing Vine & Woody Stem Red Berries

Identifying a woody climbing vine with red berries is not too difficult as long as it is one of the more common vines. Only a few vines fit this description: magnolia vine (Schisandra chinensis), American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) and honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.). Honeysuckle vines that produce red berries include trumpet (L. sempervirens), woodbine (L. periclymenum), goldflame (L. x heckrottii) and scarlet trumpet (L. x brownii). All are deciduous, perennial vines that are hardy to USDA zones 3 to 5. While they all might produce red berries, you can tell them apart if you take a closer look at their leaves, flowers and vining stems.

Measuring tape
Ruler

Instructions

- 1
  Look at how the vine climbs on its structure. The vines featured in this article are all twining vines, which mean they wrap around their support. If the vine has tendrils, rootlets or suckers that it uses to attach, it is an uncommon vine. Skip down to Step 7.
- 2
  Measure the vine's length. If it measures more than 20 feet, it is more likely to be American bittersweet or magnolia vine. The other options all grow to between 10 to 20 feet long.
- 3
  Look at the shape of the leaves. Both bittersweet and honeysuckle vines have oval leaves. However, bittersweet leaves have a more oblong shape and have edges that are serrated or finely toothed. Magnolia vines have heart-shaped leaves.
- 4
  Look at how the leaves are arranged on the stem. Bittersweet has leaves that are attached singularly at nodes and alternate (left, right) on the stem. Honeysuckle has leaves that are opposite, or paired at each node. Magnolia vine have leaves that are grouped in threes.
- 5
  Check the color of the leaves in the summer and in the fall. Most have green leaves except for tumpet and scarlet trumpet honeysuckle, which have blue-green leaves in the summer. Magnolia vines will have variegated leaves, but only around its flowers. In the fall, American bittersweet, magnolia vine and goldflame honeysuckle leaves turn yellow. Other honeysuckle vines have leaves that fall off green.
- 6
  Look at its flowers. Flowers are produced starting in May and will continue until the early summer. Honeysuckle has tubular flowers. Trumpet and scarlet trumpet honeysuckle flowers are red or orange with yellow on the inside with no fragrance. Goldflame and woodbine honeysuckle both have flowers that are fragrant. Woodbine's flowers are white with a purple tint while goldflame has pink buds that open to show a yellow center. Magnolia vines have round, white flowers about 5 inches wide. American bittersweets have insignificant flowers that are greenish-white to yellow.
- 7
  Take pictures of your vine and a small cutting to your county extension office for identification if it doesn't match any of the vines listed here.

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