Stats

Lifespan

Perennial

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Temperate woodland

Range

North America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Common

About

Saw Greenbrier, also known as Smilax bona-nox, is a vine that grows in the forests of the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. It is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, with vines that can reach speeds of up to 25 centimeters per minute.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Liliales

Family

Smilacaceae

Genus

Smilax

Species

Smilax bona-nox