Cocculus carolinus Carolina Moonseed Carolina Snailseed Coralbeads Plants Seeds
(KOK-yoo-lus  kair-oh-LY-nus )

Easyliving Native Perennial Wildflowers
Native Wild Flower Seed & Plants for Home Landscaping & Prairie Restorations

 Cocculus carolinus Carolina Moonseed fruit & seed picture by cj
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Cocculus carolinus, Carolina Moonseed potted plants are available, $4 each plus UPS shipping.  Please email for shipping costs on plants and include your address/zip code.

For other wildflowers visit the wildflower seed list , to order copy the order form or email questions, comments, and orders to john@easywildflowers.com  
We accept payment by check, money order or through PayPal

seed shipping information at bottom of page
Cocculus carolinus, Carolina Moonseed is also know as Carolina snailseed, Coralbeads, and Redberry Moonseed.  Moonseed is a very showy slender, twining deciduous native vine with long clusters of brilliant red fruits that can be seen dangling from high in tall trees and over shrubs in the SE United States.  Carolina moonseed vine with it's nearly translucent bright red berries and dark green attractive leaves will climb up to 14 feet high with a 4- to 6-foot spread and is usually found at the margins of openings in forests, often near streams.  The inconspicuous flowers are small, numerous, greenish, bloom in late Spring and mature into tight clusters of plump, scarlet showy berries in late Summer.  Carolina Moonseed or Snailseed with it’s attractive scarlet fruits should be utilized more in home landscaping where it can be grown on trellises, arbors and fences or let naturally weave through large shrubs.  The berries should not be eaten by people but are eaten by a large number of birds.  Each fruit has a single seed that resembles a small snail shell.

Native Cocculus carolinus vines are tolerant of a wide range of soils and growing conditions and easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. May not be reliably winter hardy in all of Zone 5 where it often suffers partial dieback or dies to the ground in harsh winters.  Carolina Moonseed can be grown in a large pot but will need some trimming to keep within bounds. Pruning should be done in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.  Usually will not produce fruit in early years.  Cocculus refers to the snail-shaped seed; carolinus refers to "Carolina".

Cocculus carolinus seed should be planted outside in fall/winter or given cold stratification for 3 months. Stratified seeds germinate in 3 to 4 weeks at 68° F. They are hardy from USDA zone 5-9.

The map below shows areas where Cocculus carolinus Carolina Moonseed vine grows wild but it can be planted and will grow over a wider area than shown.  USDA plant hardiness zones 5 to 10.  

Use the chart below for shipping charges on Cocculus carolinus Carolina Moonseed flower seeds, to order copy the order form or email questions, comments & orders to john@easywildflowers.com 

The minimum seed order amount is $10, this can be a combination of different seeds.

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Easyliving Wildflowers
PO Box  522
Willow Springs,  Mo.  65793
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Cocculus carolinus Carolina Moonseed, Carolina Snailseed, Coralbeads Plant distribution map complements of USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1
  (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.