dried American bittersweet in a nantucket basket

when the Halloween door decoration was taken down, the Nantucket door basket was filled with dried American bittersweet for November.  the American bittersweet is a native vine that becomes woody with age, climbing trees and fences.

using dried plant materials for decorating is fun and allows for changes each year due to the ease of cutting, hanging and drying plants in the garage.  dried arrangements can be large or small, and the materials can be made into wreaths, swags or other door decorations quite easily.

American bittersweet is a perfect plant material for the fall season and can be used for decorating from Halloween through thanksgiving. 

when planting the bittersweet vine, it is important to have both a male and female plant vine to make certain the vines bear berries for drying. the berries are often eaten by birds and squirrels during the winter