Smilax
Just like blueberries and huckleberries, these are flowering shrubs that grow in acidic, sandy soil. Since the pine barrens offers the perfect environment for this species, there's an abundance of them and many were spotted on the Unknown Huckleberry trail.
Unripe smilax
Overripe smilax
Smilax berries during January
Smilax berries retained during winter
Thorny smilax during winter
Smilax icy thorns during winter
Smilax bushes will even keep its berries throughout the cold months. Smilax plants are also known for their bushy and thorny appearance/texture. Their branches grow in a wirey manner, and may even latch onto branches or other plants.