Smilax is a family of tough, thorny climbing vines that many people know as greenbrier or catbrier, the green-stemmed tangle that snags clothes at the edge of yards and woods. The same plant group also gave its roots to sarsaparilla, the old-fashioned tonic and soda flavor.1Encyclopaedia Britannica. Sarsaparilla So a vine many gardeners curse is also a wild vegetable, a flavoring, and a long-used folk remedy, depending on which part you look at.
How to Recognize Smilax in the Wild
The stem and the way it climbs are the giveaways. Smilax climbs with tendrils, thin curling threads that wrap around anything they touch, and they come in a pair at the base of each leaf stalk.2Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. Phylogenetics, character evolution, and distribution patterns of the greenbriers, Smilacaceae (Liliales), a near-cosmopolitan family of monocots Most species carry sharp prickles on the stems. One Florida species, sometimes called sarsaparilla vine, is the smooth exception.3EDIS. Key to Nine Common Smilax Species of Florida The stems are usually green and squared or angled, which is unusual for a woody vine.4EDIS. Key to Nine Common Smilax Species of Florida New stems grow very fast and are soft and juicy at first, turning woody with age.5EDIS. Key to Nine Common Smilax Species of Florida
The leaves confirm it. They are simple and attached one at a time, alternating up the stem.6EDIS. Key to Nine Common Smilax Species of Florida They usually have three or five main veins running from the base toward the tip, with a fine net of smaller veins between.7EDIS. Key to Nine Common Smilax Species of Florida8Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. Phylogenetics, character evolution, and distribution patterns of the greenbriers, Smilacaceae (Liliales), a near-cosmopolitan family of monocots
Several other plants get mistaken for it. Blackberry and rose canes are prickly, but their leaves are made of several leaflets and they have no curling grip threads. Grape vines do have tendrils, but their leaves are lobed with branching veins, and the bark is brown and shaggy. Poison ivy has three leaflets, no prickles, and no tendrils, while smilax has single leaves.
The vine changes through the year. In spring, fast pale-green shoots with curled tips push up from the ground or out of old vines. By summer, dense green tangles cover shrubs, fences, and tree trunks. In some species the leaves stay green into winter, which keeps the vine easy to spot, and clusters of dark berries may hang on as well.
A young shoot is a slender green spear with a curled tip and small scale-like leaves, and at first it can look like a tiny asparagus stalk. As it lengthens, the first true leaves unfold and the paired grip threads appear at the leaf stalks, which is when it becomes easy to confirm. Blackberry and rose shoots usually show folded, divided leaves early, so a spear carrying single leaves is one clue pointing to smilax.
Flowers, Berries, and Why Some Vines Never Fruit
Each smilax plant is either male or female.9NC State Extension Plant Toolbox. Smilax herbacea So only female vines make berries, and only when a male vine grows close enough for pollination.10NC State Extension Plant Toolbox. Smilax herbacea The flowers are small, about a quarter inch across, and green to yellowish green.11NC State Extension Plant Toolbox. Smilax herbacea In one common species the berries are dark blue, about a quarter inch wide, with 3 to 5 seeds each.12NC State Extension Plant Toolbox. Smilax herbacea One that flowers but never fruits is probably male. Because vines spread underground, a large patch may be one plant sending up many stems, so a whole patch can be all male or all female. Berry color varies by species, often blue-black and sometimes red.
The flowers are easy to miss. They sit in small round clusters near the leaf bases, and their green color blends right into the foliage. Some smell faint or unpleasant to people, which draws insects instead.
How Many Kinds of Smilax Exist
The smilax family includes more than 200 species found on nearly every continent.13Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. Phylogenetics, character evolution, and distribution patterns of the greenbriers, Smilacaceae (Liliales), a near-cosmopolitan family of monocots Counts shift as botanists sort out names; in Central America and the Caribbean, about 120 described species were reduced to 29 real ones.14Willdenowia. Taxonomic revision of the genus Smilax (Smilacaceae) in Central America and the Caribbean Islands That means many names you see online may refer to the same plant.
A few common names are worth knowing. Greenbrier, catbrier, and bullbrier usually mean wild North American species, while sarsaparilla refers to tropical species whose roots are used for flavor. Saw greenbrier and roundleaf greenbrier are common in the eastern US. If you need the species confirmed, a local extension office can help.
Eating Smilax Shoots and Roots
The tender growing tips are the main food. They taste mild, much like asparagus with a slightly slippery texture.15Forager Chef. What Is Smilax? Identifying the Plant and Its Uses They can be eaten raw or cooked like asparagus or green beans.16Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Smilax: A Brier And That’s No Bull To harvest, bend the vine about a foot back from the tip; where it snaps cleanly, the part beyond is tender enough to eat.17Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Smilax: A Brier And That’s No Bull Further back the stem has turned woody and will only bend. Well-watered vines in sun can give shoots a foot long and about a third of an inch thick.18Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Smilax: A Brier And That’s No Bull
Roots are a harder project. Young roots, finger-size or smaller, can be cooked and eaten.19Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Smilax: A Brier And That’s No Bull Larger roots can be processed into a red powder used as a thickener or for a drink, though it takes more effort than the food is worth in calories.20Eat The Weeds and other things, too. Smilax: A Brier And That’s No Bull
Spring is peak season, when new growth surges, and fresh shoots keep appearing on vines that are cut back. Pick only where no herbicide has been sprayed, and stay away from roadsides.
After picking, rinse the tips and pinch off any papery scales or small curled threads, which can be tough. Trim the cut end if it looks dry or fibrous, much as you would snap the base of asparagus. Eat or refrigerate them soon, since tender wild shoots wilt quickly.
Steam or sauté them briefly so they stay crisp, or toss raw tips into salads. Long cooking brings out the slippery texture. Skip any vine with three leaflets or milky sap, and do not eat the berries without reliable local guidance.
Sarsaparilla and Traditional Remedies
Sarsaparilla flavoring comes from the roots of several tropical smilax vines.21Encyclopaedia Britannica. Sarsaparilla The soft drink of the same name was originally made from these vines.22Wikipedia. Sarsaparilla (drink) Once a popular tonic, it is now mostly used to flavor drinks like root beer and to mask the taste of medicines.23Encyclopaedia Britannica. Sarsaparilla
The root flavor is sweet, earthy, and slightly bitter, and people often find it hard to pin down. Many modern sarsaparilla and root beer drinks use artificial or other flavorings, with taste coming more from wintergreen and similar flavors. Check the ingredient list for sarsaparilla root or extract if you want the real thing.
Smilax also has a long folk-medicine record. It has been used for centuries for diabetes, gout, rheumatism, skin disorders, and syphilis.24South African Journal of Botany. The genus Smilax L.: A comprehensive review of traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicity Jamaican sarsaparilla is a folk remedy for arthritis and joint pain.25PubMed. Investigation of the anti-inflammatory and the analgesic effects of the extracts from Smilax ornata Lem. (Jamaican sarsaparilla) plant In Mexico, root tea is used as a blood purifier and for stomach pain, skin disease, flu, and weight loss.26PubMed Central. Uses abundance perception and potential geographical distribution of Smilax aristolochiifolia Mill SMILACACEAE on the Totonacapan Region of Puebla, Mexico The roots contain soap-like plant compounds called saponins, plus other plant compounds.27Agronomy. Smilax aspera L. Leaf and Fruit Extracts as Antibacterial Agents for Crop Protection28PubMed. Steroidal saponins from the roots of Smilax sp.: structure and bioactivity
Long use shows what people hoped a plant did, not that it worked. Herbal syphilis treatment was replaced because antibiotics actually cure the disease.
What Research Says About Health Benefits
Extracts of several smilax species calmed inflammation in cells grown in the lab.29PubMed Central. Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Phenolic-Enriched Extracts of Smilax glabra30PubMed. Smilaxchina L. polyphenols inhibit LPS-induced macrophage M1 polarization to alleviate inflammation through NF-κB signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo In mice, a smilax extract reduced inflamed tissue and boosted the body’s own antioxidant defenses.31PubMed. Smilaxchina L. polyphenols inhibit LPS-induced macrophage M1 polarization to alleviate inflammation through NF-κB signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo Applied to skin, a smilax root extract eased psoriasis-like patches in mice and reduced flare-ups.32PubMed. Smilax glabra Roxb. extract alleviates psoriasis-like lesions in mice by the synergistic effects of TOP2A inhibition and AhR activation33PubMed. Smilacis Chinae Rhizoma ethyl acetate fraction alleviates IMQ-induced psoriasis by inhibiting IL-17-driven T-cell immune responses A compound found in sarsaparilla helped mice with eczema-like rashes and let a steroid cream work at half the dose.34PubMed. Sarsasapogenin and fluticasone combination improves DNFB induced atopic dermatitis lesions in BALB/c mice But these results come from cells and mice, not human trials.
Cells in a lab dish skip digestion, the liver, and blood flow, all of which change what reaches tissues in a real body. So a lab result is a reason to look further, not a sign that eating or taking the plant will do the same thing.
Mouse results often fail in people for further reasons. Doses in animals are often far higher than a person would take, and skin conditions in mice are created artificially and differ from human disease. Many plant compounds that work in the lab are also poorly absorbed by people.
If you have psoriasis or eczema, keep using the treatments your doctor prescribed. Tell your doctor before adding sarsaparilla, and watch for any new rash or irritation.
Is Sarsaparilla Safe as a Supplement
Mice given high single doses of sarsaparilla extract showed no harm.35International Journal of Pharmacognosy. Hepatoprotective and Safety Evaluation Studies on Sarsaparilla Rats drinking it daily for 90 days showed no signs of toxicity or blood changes.36International Journal of Pharmacognosy. Hepatoprotective and Safety Evaluation Studies on Sarsaparilla Still, large amounts of saponins can irritate the stomach. And in the US, herbal supplements are not checked for safety or effectiveness before sale. Those tests did not cover rare reactions, long-term use beyond 90 days, or people with particular health conditions.
If you try one, look for a product tested by an independent lab. Be wary of claims about muscle building or hormone boosting. A pharmacist can check for interactions with your medicines, and it is best avoided during pregnancy without medical advice.
Why Smilax Matters to Wildlife
The berries stay on vines into late winter and early spring, when food is scarce for cardinals and sparrows.37USDA Forest Service. Smilax rotundifolia Wild turkeys, wood ducks, black bears, raccoons, and squirrels eat the fruit.38US Forest Service Research and Development. Smilax bona-nox, saw greenbrier Deer and rabbits browse the leaves.39USDA Forest Service. Smilax rotundifolia Thorny thickets give birds and small animals safe nesting and hiding spots.40Collin County Chapter Native Plant Society of Texas. What Is Smilax? Identifying the Plant And Its Uses41US Forest Service Research and Development. Smilax bona-nox, saw greenbrier
If you want both wildlife and a tidy yard, leave a patch at a property edge as winter bird food. Remove it from paths and play areas, and keep it off small trees it can smother.
How to Control Smilax in Your Yard
Goats can strip the leaves off greenbrier in a short time.42Livestock Research for Rural Development. What Is Smilax? Identifying the Plant and Its Uses The plants survive and regrow, though, unless browsing continues long term or regrowth is treated with herbicide.43Livestock Research for Rural Development. What Is Smilax? Identifying the Plant and Its Uses Digging out the thick underground roots stops resprouting where that is practical.
For a hands-on cleanup, cut the vines at the ground with loppers while wearing thick gloves. Pull the tangled tops off shrubs once they are cut loose. In small areas, dig out the knobby roots, or treat fresh regrowth with herbicide following label directions. Recheck every few weeks in the growing season.
Repeated cutting of new shoots gradually drains the roots. Cutting just before the vine would otherwise flower or fruit also keeps new berries from spreading seeds.