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Parthenocissus himalayana

Common name:		Family:	Vitaceae
Author:	(Royle.)Planch.	Botanical references:	11, 109, 200
Synonyms:	Ampelopsis himalayana (Royle.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
Habitat:	Climbing over rocks, 1200 - 3300 metres in W. China[109]. Moist open places at elevations of 2100 - 3200 metres in Nepal[272].
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.
	Psedera himalayana[G] Vitis himalayana[G]
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rhamnales. Grape family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious climber growing to 18m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from May to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. 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, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Walls, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[105, 177]. A juicy texture with a sweet to acidic flavour[194]. The average yield per plant is about 750g per year[194]. (This seems exceedingly low[K].) The fruit contains about 8.6% sugars, 2.9% protein, 1.4% ash. Vitamin C content is 12.2mg per 100ml of juice[194]. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter[200] and is carried in small bunches like grapes.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Ground cover.

Plants can be allowed to sprawl on the ground, making a good ground cover when spaced about 3 metres apart each way[208]. They are very vigorous, however, and would soon swamp smaller plants[K].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive fertile soil and a sunny position[200]. Succeeds in semi-shade[208].
This species is not very hardy outdoors in Britain, it succeeds in the milder areas of the country where it is best grown on an east or west facing wall[200, 219]. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts.
Fruits are only produced after a long hot summer[219]. The fruit of this species is very late ripening and the plant has potential in breeding programmes with Vitis vinifera, especially in the Himalayas, where this trait could be useful[194].
A climbing plant, supporting itself by means of adhesive tendrils[182, 219]. A very good climber for walls but it can invade gutters[182].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[200]. Stored seed requires stratifying for 6 weeks at 5°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[200]. Germination is variable. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm taken at a node (ensure that it has at least 2 true buds), July/August in a frame[78]. Easy to root but they do not always survive the first winter[182].
Basal hardwood cuttings of current seasons growth, 10 - 12 cm long, autumn in a frame[200].
Layering[200].

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

[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.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[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.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[194] Parmar. C. and Kaushal. M.K. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers. New Delhi. 1982
Contains lots of information on about 25 species of fruit-bearing plants of the Himalayas, not all of them suitable for cool temperate zones.

[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.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

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Bibliography

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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