It is native to China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan (including Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and India.

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] It also known as china root, china-root, or chinaroot,[9] as is the related Smilax glabra.

Berries are red, globose, and 0.6–1.5 cm (0.24–0.59 in) in diameter.

[10] In China, S. china occurs in forests, thickets, hillsides, grassy slopes, and shaded places along valleys or streams.

It is found from near sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).