Family: Celastraceae, Staff Tree view all from this family

Description Introduced. An evergreen climbing vine or trailing shrub that bears pink and orange fruits.
Flowers: tiny, inconspicuous; greenish to whitish.
Leaves: 1-2" (2.5-5 cm) long; opposite; ovate; toothed; evergreen; shiny, dark green with paler veins.
Fruit: small, round pink capsule that opens to reveal orange seeds.
Height: as a shrub or ground cover to 3' (0.9 m) high; as a vine can climb 40-70' (12-21 m) by clinging to vertical supports with aerial roots.

Habitat Roadsides, woodland edges or openings, forests, riversides.

Range Asia; naturalized in the eastern United States.

Discussion This plant was first introduced in North America as an evergreen ground cover, but it has escaped from cultivation and is considered a noxious or invasive plant. In the wild it can shade out native seedlings or drain the soil of nutrients, thus outcompeting other plants.