I once argued with a friend over whether this was Bittersweet, the Bittersweet that girdles trees and kills them.... I was wrong, and she was correct. My mistake was in assuming that there was only one Bittersweet. The flower to your right is Bittersweet Nightshade ... but it is not the Bittersweet that strangles our trees. That would go by the name of Oriental Bittersweet ... it is very invasive and is slowly reducing the number of American Bittersweet (another Bittersweet) by encroaching on its territory. I am glad this purple flower is not the destructive Bittersweet because it is very pretty. One of the big differences between the Bittersweet Nightshade and Oriental Bittersweet is that the Oriental Bittersweet has very showy and colorful fall fruit.... yellows and oranges, and they are used in Fall wreaths. I have a stand of fifty foot high Spruce trees that are beyond saving because the Oriental Bittersweet vine has wound around them and strangled them. Heart Breaking!
Where I found them : in my yard
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