If someone asks "what vine is that?" Porcelain-berry(P-b) is a good first guess, particularly this time of year. It seems to be everywhere. Continuing with theme of local vines here is the quick over view of porcelain-berry. It is a non-native (Asia) invasive. The ID is often paired with the similar family member, wild grape or fox grape.
P-b has variable but generally grape like leaves. A clear difference is the fruit grows upward above the leaves with porcelain berry, while the wild grape fruit bunches hang down as would be expected with common grapes. The fruit of P-b, when cut has white flesh vs dark flesh for the grape. If no fruit the pith of the vine(P-b) is white while the wild grape pith is brown. The bark of wild grape is woody and peeling while the porcelain berry bark is not.
Being related to grapes the fruit of porcelain berry is edible but apparently tasteless and with a disagreeable texture. Will give a personal report as it ripens. Foragers will not help control the invasive. Suggested control seems to be by hand pulling and cutting since chemicals will damage the supporting plants.
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| berries above the plane of the leaves |
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| Porcelain berry variable grape-like leaves |
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| leaf close up, grape-like |
The cucumber vine is growing around the old foundation north side of Rolandvue near the Cloverlea entrance. This vine seems to get a more neutral response. Aggressive but not invasive, possible for trellis but needs control. The unusual fruits are not edible. Because it can cover trees most suggest pulling before it goes to seed, which looks like about last week. It has these interesting little tendrils mentioned in an earlier post.
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| cucumber vine flower |
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| small irregular fruit of the cucumber vine |
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| cucumber vine leaf |
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counterclockwise tendril in northern hemisphere
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