What's in a name? Shakespeare asked the question vis-a-vis the rose. But unlike the rose, bittersweet has earned its name. It is tempting to think that the name "bittersweet" originated from the dual nature of bittersweet vine discussed on Page 1: namely, the fact that the vine is so destructive (in the case of Celastrus orbiculatus, not Celastrus scandens), yet so beautiful. But alas, the explanation is hardly so poetic. And before revealing the derivation of the name "bittersweet," it is necessary to introduce yet another character into this "Comedy of Errors," a plant in the infamous nightshade family -- Solanum dulcamara.
If neither of the two types of bittersweet vine known so well in the eastern and central U.S. is the true "bittersweet," then what plant merits that appellation? The answer: a plant introduced into the U.S. from Europe, called "bittersweet nightshade" (Solanum dulcamara). The berries of this plant undergo an interesting color transformation during their growing season. Beginning as a green berry, they change first to yellow, then to orange, and finally mature to red. Making the plant even more colorful is the fact that not all the berries reach these color stages at the same time. Consequently, it is not uncommon to see a bittersweet nightshade plant bearing berries of three or four different colors (see picture of bittersweet nightshade above). The berry of this true bittersweet is poisonous. Not that I'd recommend that the novice ingest false bittersweet berries or oriental bittersweet berries, either. Commenting on the berries of Celastrus scandens, the experts at Moonshine Designs quip, "While not extremely toxic, they will 'clean you out at both ends'."
Interestingly, both Celastrus scandens and bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) were used for medicinal purposes by herbalists in the U.S. in the nineteenth century. In the case of Celastrus scandens, the bark was gathered by herbalists; while it was the twigs of the bittersweet nightshade that were prized. King's American Dispensatory (1898) indicates that one of the herbal uses both of bittersweet nightshade and of Celastrus scandens, or false bittersweet, was as a diuretic (a substance that increases the flow of urine).
And the derivation of the name, "bittersweet"? King's American Dispensatory has the following to say of bittersweet nightshade: "The twigs should be collected in the autumn, after the dropping of the foliage; they have an unpleasant odor, which is lost by drying; and their taste is bitter, followed by some sweetness and a slight acridity." The same source reveals how Celastrus scandens came to be thought of as bitter-sweet, remarking that "The bark has a bitter, afterward sweetish, rather nauseous taste."
So if they both have a bitter-sweet taste, why is bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) considered to be the true "bittersweet," while Celastrus scandens had to settle for "false bittersweet"? The answer lies in the Latin moniker of the former. Solanum is the part that indicates "nightshade." But what interests us is dulcamara, which is a composite of two Latin words -- meaning "sweet" and "bitter," respectively. The Western plant classifiers simply got to the bittersweet nightshade at an earlier time in history. By the time that they discovered the properties of Celastrus scandens, the name "bittersweet" had already been claimed. As for Celastrus orbiculatus, since "bittersweet" and "false bittersweet" had already been used as names for other plants, the solution arrived at for a common name was to name it after its place of origin -- the Orient.
So as you can see, when somebody starts talking about "bittersweet," the conversation is hopelessly vague: the common name just doesn't give you sufficient information for discussion. The confusion to which I've pointed above provides a poignant example of why we use scientific names of plants.
What camp are you in when it comes to landscaping with Oriental bittersweet? Is it a pest? Or is it too pretty to be considered a pest? Either way, it's for the birds, as we'll see on Page 3.
