Porcelain berry

About

A grape-like woody vine from Asia with colorful berries that climbs over shrubs and small trees and shades them out. It's very hard to control once established because it resprouts from roots and seeds stay in the soil for years.

Also called porcelainberry, porcelain-berry, Amur peppervine, porcelain vine

How to identify it

Look for

Leaves are alternate and heart-shaped with coarse teeth, often deeply cut into 3 to 5 lobes. It climbs with tendrils; the bark has small dot-like lenticels and doesn't peel, and the pith inside the stem is white. Small berries start white and turn yellow, lilac, green or turquoise in September and October, and are held upright above the stem.

Look-alikes

Native wild grapes have shredding bark, brown pith, and drooping flower and fruit clusters.

Where it grows

Stream banks, pond edges, forest edges, yards and disturbed ground; it doesn't like deep shade.

When

Flowers from June through August, and berries color up in September and October.

How it spreads

Birds, small mammals and deer eat the berries and spread the seeds, and roots resprout after the vine is cut.

Most common in

What to do, gentlest first

Protect yourself first. Weed killers are a last step; always read and follow the label.

1. Plant trees to shade it out Prevent

   It struggles in heavy shade, so filling gaps with native trees and shrubs helps keep it from coming back.

2. Pull or dig in fall or early spring By hand

   Hand-pull young plants and dig out the whole root with a shovel. Collect all the fruit when you remove vines.

   Bag the berries and roots; don't compost them. Expect seedlings and root sprouts for years.

3. Cut big vines in summer By hand

   Cut large vines in summer to free trees, then treat the regrowth when it resprouts.

4. Glyphosate or triclopyr Conventional spray

   Spray glyphosate on regrowth after cutting, or use triclopyr as a leaf spray or a basal bark treatment. Plan on repeat treatments.

   Read and follow the label. Many lawn and brush killers also harm garden plants, so keep spray and drift off anything you want to keep.

Uses, wildlife and pets

For wildlife

Birds and deer eat the fruit, which spreads the seeds.

Pets

Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA