Practical
Plants

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata

Porcelain Berry

a deciduous member of the Ampelopsis genus in the family Vitaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Vitaceae
Foliage
deciduous
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
20 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaf buds - cooked[1]. Leaves and stems - cooked[6][1][4]. Fruit - raw or cooked[1][4]. The fruit is 6 - 8mm in diameter[7] and is carried in small bunches like grapes[K]. Not very palatable[K].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The fresh fruits, roots and leaves are antiphlogistic, depurative and febrifuge. Resolves clots[3]. It is used externally in the treatment of boils, abscesses and ulcers, traumatic bruises and aches[3].

Product or use
Antiphlogistic
Product or use
Depurative
Product or use
Febrifuge

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, E. Russia.
Habitat
Thickets in hills all over Japan[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in pots in a cold frame in the autumn or stratify for 6 weeks at 5°c and sow in the spring[7]. Germination can be quite slow, sometimes taking more than a year. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. When they are more than 20cm tall, they can be planted out into their permanent positions, preferably in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm long, July/August in a frame[11]. Cuttings or eyes in late autumn or winter. Either place them in the ground in a greenhouse or cold frame, or put them in pots. An eye cutting is where you have just one bud at the top and a short length of stem with a small part of the bark removed. These normally root well and grow away vigorously, being ready to plant into their permanent positions the following autumn. Layering into pots in late summer. Partially sever the stem in spring and then lift the new plants in the autumn[11].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a deep rich loam in a warm sheltered position in full sun[2][7]. Succeeds in poor soils[5]. Does well on a south wall[2][9]. A very ornamental plant, there are some named varieties[5]. Most forms of this species, especially the sub-species A. brevipedunculata maximowiczii. (Reg.)Rehd. (syn A. heterophylla. Sieb.&Zucc.), are very hardy in Britain when dormant, but the cultivar 'Elegans' is frost-tender and usually grown as a pot plant[7]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. Plants rarely fruit in Britain except after a long hot summer[7]. Another report says that if the plant is growing in a poor soil on a south facing wall then it fruits quite regularly[5]. Plants fruit better if their roots are restricted, this can be achieved by root pruning in the winter or by putting the plant into a large container and then placing this in the soil[7]. Growth, especially in good soils, can be very vigorous and this is usually at the expense of the fruits[8]. Any pruning is best carried out in the winter[9]. The shoots have sticky pads and are self-supporting on walls[2]. Other reports say that plants climb by means of coiling tendrils but large plants often need tying in to support the weight of foliage[7][9].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩1↩2

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  5. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  8. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

    ↩

  9. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

  11. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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