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Ampelopsis humulifolia

Common name:		Family:	Vitaceae
Author:	Bunge.	Botanical references:	11, 109, 200
Synonyms:	Vitis davidiana ((Carriè re.)Nichols.), Cissus davidiana (Carriè re.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea
Habitat:	Woodlands and thickets, 900 - 1500 metres[109].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	A. humilifolia[HORTIPLEX]
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rhamnales. Grape family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious climber growing to 6m. It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers medium (loamy) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Fruit Leaves.

Fruit[177]. The fruit is about 4 - 5mm in diameter[200] and is carried in small bunches like grapes[K].
Leaves[177]. No more details.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a deep rich loam in a warm sheltered position in sun or semi-shade[11, 200].
Dormant plants are hardy to at least -25° c if the wood is fully ripened[200]. 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].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is closely related to A. bodinieri[11].
Plants rarely produce fruits in Britain unless there is a long hot summer[200].
Plants climb by means of coiling tendrils but large plants often need tying in to support the weight of foliage[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow in pots in a cold frame in the autumn or stratify for 6 weeks at 5° c and sow in the spring[200]. 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[78].
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[78].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Ampelopsis humilifolia (a possible synonym).

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Vitaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[109] Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.
Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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