Bryony is a garden plant introduced from Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa that has become a weed pest in the wild. It is a soft green, cucumber-like vine that climbs up to six meters. It produces clusters of small, cream flowers in spring, and berries in bunches of 5 to 8 that ripen to light red from January to April. The seeds are spread by birds.

The shoots die back in autumn to a persistent perennial tuber. The fruits and tubers contain toxic alkaloids, which may be poisonous when consumed in quantity.