Description: Porcelain-berry is a
deciduous, climbing vine of the grape family which can grow, with
support, to a height of 16 feet. It is related to two North
AmeiicanAmpelopsis species, raccoon-grape and pepper-vine. The
leaves of porcelain-berry are bright green, slightly hairy on the
underside, and often deeply lobed with three to five lobes per leaf.
Young twigs are also hairy to the touch. The unusual fruits of
porcelain-berry, however, distinguish it from similar species. This
fruit is also the feature that may be responsible for its introduction
to North America. The fruit is hard, with the appearance of porcelain,
and changes in color from white to a series of pastel shades of
yellow; lilac, and green before finally turning a sky blue. All the
colors can often be found oh a single fruit cluster.
Habitat::
Porcelain-berry is a hardy
species that can adapt to a variety of environmental conditions. It
grows well in most soils but is especially successful in moist, slightly
shady areas along stream banks, and in thickets.
Distribution:
A native of northeast Asia, porcelain-berry was cultivated in. North
America as an ornamental bedding and screening plant. It spread into
natural areas when birds ate the berries and spread the seeds in their
droppings. Once established in the wild, this prolific vine spread along
he East Coast from New England to North Carolina and west to Ontario
and Michigan. Locally, it has been documented in ten counties in
northern and central Virginia. Abandoned
fields, roadsides, woodlands, and edges of marshes are all places to
find bush honeysuckles. They tolerate varying moisture levels and
moderate shade, but prefer open areas and achieve the greatest fruit
production when in full sun.
Threats: The very features that make porcelain-berry
attractive as a landscape plant also make it a problem in natural areas.
Although relatively slow to establish, it grows quickly and, once
established, is tenacious and can be difficult to remove. It is
relatively insect and disease resistant, and can outcompete native
species for water and nutrients. The thick mats of porcelain-berry,
which are so attractive to landscapers, spatially usurp other plants.
Control:
Surprisingly, this invasive plant is still popular in the horticultural
trade. The most effective control is removal from commercial trade and
the use of alternative plants for landscaping and gardening. Some
alternative species include trumpet honeysuckle, goldflame honeysuckle
and jackman clematis.
Where removal of porcelain-berry is
necessitated, hand pulling the plants should be done before the plant is
in fruit to avoid scattering seeds. Because the roots of porcelain-berry
plants often merge with shrubs or other desirable vegetation, this type
of manual removal is difficult in well established patches without
damaging the desirable vegetation as well. If hand pulling is not
feasible, porcelain-berry may be removed by the spot application of
gryphosphate herbicides to individual plants'. As glyphosphate is a non-selective
herbicide, it-should be used sparingly so as not to contact desirable
plants growing with porcelain-berry. Herbicide treatment is most
effective when applied toward the end of the growing season when plants
are actively transporting nutrients from stems and leaves to root
systems. As with manual removal of plants, follow-up treatments may be
needed in subsequent years to remove plants which have sprouted from
seeds remaining in the soil.
Reference:
Spangler, R. L 1977. Landscape Plants for
the Central and
Northeastern United States Including Lower and Eastern Canada
BurgessPublishingCompany,U.S.A.S06pp.
|
|
