How can I tell the difference between american bittersweet and a climbing hydrangea?

I have a climbing vine on an arbor in my yard. It was planted by the previous owners. I though it was bittersweet , but my neighbor said it was a climbing hydrangea. From the pictures I found online they both look incredibly similar, and if it is a male bittersweet it will not produce the telltale berries. How can I tell what kind of plant it is?

How can I tell the difference between american bittersweet and a climbing hydrangea?
Bittersweet - alternate leaf pattern


Hydrangea - opposite leaf pattern





American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) will produce leaves along the branch in an alternate fashion. One leaf on one side of the branch, move along the branch some distance and you'll find another leaf on the other side of the branch.





Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomela) produces leaves in pairs directly across from each other (opposite).
Reply:Do you live in the Northeast (i.e. New England)? If not then I doubt seriously that it's native bittersweet. It is an endangered and rare plant.





I have some on my back porch. It has green leaves and red, hard berries. The berries start out looking like they are orange but this is just a shell which drops off.





Good luck
Reply:YOU can't .............but I can !! HAHAHAHAHAHA