Practical
Plants

Vitis thunbergii

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

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Vitaceae
Genus
Vitis
Foliage
deciduous
Growth rate
moderate
Height
5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw or dried for winter use[2][5][6]. The fruit is about 9mm in diameter[8] and is borne in bunches. Young leaves - cooked[2]. The young leaves are also wrapped around other foods and then baked, they impart a pleasant flavour. Young tendrils - raw or cooked.

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Material uses

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

A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves[4].

Product or use
Dye

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Thickets in hills and mountains all over Japan[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[K]. Six weeks cold stratification improves the germination rate, and so stored seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is obtained. Germination should take place in the first spring, but sometimes takes another 12 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in early summer. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, December/January in a frame. These cuttings can be of wood 15 - 30cm long or they can be of short sections of the stem about 5cm long with just one bud at the top of the section. In this case a thin, narrow strip of the bark about 3cm long is removed from the bottom half of the side of the stem. This will encourage callusing and the formation of roots. Due to the size of these cuttings they need to be kept in a more protected environment than the longer cuttings. Layering.

Cultivation

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

Prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam[1][8]. Grows best in a calcareous soil[8]. Requires a position in full sun[8]. This species is a poor doer at Kew, it grows weakly and suffers lots of die-back[3]. Plants climb by means of tendrils[7]. Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely[7][8].Requires a sheltered position[7]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  4. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

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

    ↩

  6. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. 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

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

    ↩

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