Carolina Moonseed (Cocculus Carolinus)

Features and Characteristics

Cocculus carolinus, commonly called Carolina moonseed, is a deciduous, Missouri native, woody vine which climbs with thin twining stems or scrambles along the ground, and primarily occurs in rocky open woods, wood margins, glades, fence rows, roadsides and stream/pond margins in the southern 1/3 of the State. Best ornamental features are its foliage and its attractive red berries in fall. Typically grows 10-12′, but may grow larger in the deep South where it is not susceptible to winter dieback. Tiny, greenish-white flowers appear in loose, drooping, terminal and axillary clusters (racemes) in summer, but are insignificant. Flowers give way to loose clusters of bright red, flattened, pea-sized drupes which mature in late summer and persist well into fall. Medium green leaves (to 4″ long) are of variable shapes ranging from oval to heart-shaped to triangular.

Genus name comes from the Greek word kokkos meaning berry in reference to the fruits of this vine.

Specific epithet means from North or South Carolina.

The single crescent-shaped seed inside each drupe resembles a third quarter moon or small snail shell, thus giving rise to the common names of Carolina moonseed and Carolina snailseed for this vine.