Carolina Snailseed

Vines are plants with long, slender stems that either trail or creep across the ground or climb either by wrapping itself around a support or using tendrils that attach to a support structure. While woody in nature, the plant cannot support vertical growth without support. Vines often produce flowers and fruit beneficial to wildlife.

Carolina Snailseed, Cocculus carolinus, is currently producing its long clusters of bright red fruit in Central Texas. Other common names are Carolina coralbead, Red berried moonseed, and Carolina red berried moonseed. It grows in most of Texas, but not the Texas Panhandle.

The name comes from shape of the seed within the berries that resembles a snail shell. Carolina Snailseed grows in high trees and shrubs or anywhere else it can climb. The vine is slender and easily broken. This plant grows in rich soils, swampy areas, roadside thickets, forest margins, rocky hillsides, and limestone cliffs. The photo came from a vine at Tejas Camp at the western end of Lake Georgetown. It does not need a lot of water and prefers partial shade. Carolina Snailsneed is both cold and heat tolerant, grows in both wet and droughty soils and tolerates a wide range of soil types from sandy, sandy loam, medium loam, clay loam, and clay. Because it is a strong grower and can be difficult to remove once established, intentional planting should be considered carefully. It is also resistant to Round Up. Seeds must be chilled for three months for propagation. Stem cuttings may also be used, but usually Carolina Snailseed is a volunteer plant from the droppings of birds or small mammals.

The leaves are triangular-ovate and heart shaped. The vine flowers in the summer with small, inconspicuous greenish white blossoms. Male and female flowers grow on different plants. The female clusters are smaller. The vine can grow to a height of ten to fourteen feet.

Carolina snailseed grows throughout most of the southeastern except at high elevation. In Central Texas it can stay green all year.

Birds enjoy the fruit and help this plant reproduce by transporting the seeds. White tail deer, goats and cattle browse the leaves. However, for humans, the alkaloid compounds are bitter and can cause gastric distress. Carolina Snailseed is not considered fatal to humans, but its relative the Cnada Moonseed can be. Canda Moonseed is found much farther north.