Common Moonseed Menispermum canadense

• Attributes:

  Genus:

  Menispermum

  Species:

  canadense

  Family:

  Menispermaceae

  Uses (Ethnobotany):

  Used by many people groups for a variety of medicinal uses, particularly by the Cherokee

  Life Cycle:

  Perennial

  Woody

  Country Or Region Of Origin:

  South Central & South East Canada to North East Mexico

  Distribution:

  Forest or natural areas, in moist woods

  Wildlife Value:

  The caterpillars of Plusiodonta compressipalpis (Moonseed Moth) sever the leaves of this vine, feeding on them after they become dry. The larvae of a long-horned beetle, Hyperplatys aspersa, bore through its wood, where they are found underneath the bark. Both the roots and foliage are toxic to mammalian herbivores.

  Climbing Method:

  Twining

• Whole Plant Traits:

  Plant Type:

  Native Plant

  Poisonous

  Vine

  Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

• Cultural Conditions:

  Light:

  Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

  Soil Texture:

  Loam (Silt)

  Soil Drainage:

  Moist

  Occasionally Wet

  NC Region:

  Coastal

  Mountains

  Piedmont

  USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:

  5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

• Fruit:

  Fruit Color:

  Black

  Blue

  Display/Harvest Time:

  Fall

  Summer

  Fruit Type:

  Drupe

  Fruit Length:

  < 1 inch

  Fruit Width:

  < 1 inch

  Fruit Description:

  Mature drupes grow in grape-like clusters and become bluish black with a whitish bloom from July to October. Each fruit contains a single crescent-shaped seed, lending the plant its name. Their flavor is rank and unpleasant.

• Flowers:

  Flower Color:

  Green

  White

  Flower Inflorescence:

  Panicle

  Flower Bloom Time:

  Spring

  Summer

  Flower Size:

  3-6 inches

  Flower Description:

  Occasionally, panicles of whitish to yellowish green flowers are produced along the non-woody stems. These panicles are up to 5" long and sometimes irregular in shape; they hang downward from the stems of this vine on long stalks. Grows separate male and female flowers. Blooms from May to August.

• Leaves:

  Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Leaf Color:

  Green

  Leaf Type:

  Simple

  Leaf Arrangement:

  Alternate

  Leaf Shape:

  Obovate

  Leaf Margin:

  Entire

  Lobed

  Undulate

  Hairs Present:

  No

  Leaf Description:

  The leaves are alternate, simple, long-stalked, palmately lobed with shallow with rounded lobes.

• Stem:

  Stem Color:

  Brown/Copper

  Stem Is Aromatic:

  No

  Stem Description:

  Young stems are green to brownish red and slightly hairy, while older stems become hairless and woody.

• Landscape:

  Landscape Location:

  Naturalized Area

  Woodland

  Landscape Theme:

  Native Garden

  Attracts:

  Predatory Insects

  Small Mammals

  Songbirds

  Problems:

  Poisonous to Humans

• Poisonous to Humans:

  Poison Severity:

  High

  Poison Symptoms:

  HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Causes convulsions.

  Poison Toxic Principle:

  Alkaloid dauricine

  Causes Contact Dermatitis:

  No

  Poison Part:

  Flowers

  Fruits

  Leaves

  Roots