Bristly greenbrier earns its name from the dense, fine bristles that cover its climbing stems, a texture noticeably different from the broader, flatter thorns of its relatives. Using tendrils to ascend, it works its way over shrubs and into the lower branches of trees, spreading further by underground rhizomes. Its preferred habitats are varied and telling: moist deciduous woods, floodplains, wooded slopes, bluffs, and stream and river banks, all places where the soil holds some moisture and disturbance is not unusual. The plant colonizes with a quiet reliability across zones 4 through 8.

Spring flowers are small and yellow-green, appearing on a vine that may sprawl considerable distances when given open ground or scramble vertically when support is available. Fruit production requires both male and female plants, as the species is dioecious. The dark berries attract bees and wildlife during the growing season, while the dense tangles the vine creates offer shelter to small birds and animals. Like several of its smilax relatives, it carries drought resistance once its root system is established, and it spreads steadily in naturalistic settings where its vigor can be accommodated.