Large-leaved parthenocissus

Nekemias megalophylla (neh-KEE-mee-as meg-a-low-FILL-ah)

Family: Vitaceae Non-native Vine (vertical)

Vine (vertical)Non-native

Pepper vine is a deciduous Woody Vine native to China. It has hairless stems and bluish-green young leaves that become yellow-orange to red in the fall. It is typically grown for its foliage on a trellis or along a wall. It is toxic if ingested.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 57 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)

See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Ampelopsis glandulosa var. heterophylla Lathyrus latifolius Vitis riparia

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions

Plant type: Ground Cover; Poisonous; Shrub; Vine
Life cycle: Perennial; Woody
USDA zones: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture: Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH: Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage: Good Drainage | Moist
Available space: 3 feet-6 feet
NC region: Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate: Rapid
Maintenance: Low
Canopy layer: 6 - Vine (vertical)

Form & Appearance

Habit / form: Erect
Texture: Medium
Foliage: Deciduous
Leaf color: Blue; Green
Leaf type: Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement: Alternate
Leaf shape: Elliptical; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf value: Showy
Leaf size: > 6 inches long
Hairs present: No
Leaf detail: Its leaves are the largest of any hardy vine.
Fall color: Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color: Green; White
Flower form: Insignificant
Flower detail: Small greenish-white flowers in late summer.
Bloom time: Summer
Fruit color: Black; Blue; Green
Fruit type: Berry
Fruit detail: The berries are dry or slightly fleshy, bluish, or greenish dark purple. The berries turn black in the fall.
Stem detail: A hairless stemmed plant that may be multistemmed.

Wildlife & Ecology

Native status: Non-native
Origin: China
Wildlife value: Birds eat the berries.
Play value: Colorful; Screening; Wildlife Food Source

Food & Medicine

Fruit type: Berry

Edibility

non-edible

Landscape Use

Landscape location: Naturalized Area
Landscape theme: Winter Garden
Garden tags: #deciduous shrub #tendrils #ornamental vine #deciduous vine #poisonous #groundcover #vine #climber

Problems & Resistance

Resistant to: Poor Soil
Propagation: Seed; Stem Cutting
Poison severity: Low
Poison parts: Fruits
Poison symptoms: The berries may cause an upset stomach.
Toxic principle: unknown
Contact dermatitis: No
Toxicity summary: Low severity poison; parts: Fruits

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

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