Porcelain berry is an aggressive weed in the Vitaceae (grape) family of the eastern United States that closely resembles native grapes, Porcelain berry is listed as an Invasive, Exotic Plant of the Southeast reseeding readily and becoming very difficult to remove. It invades streambanks, pond margins, forest edges, and other disturbed areas. The thick mats formed by this climbing vine can cover and shade out native shrubs and young trees. It spreads very quickly since birds and mammals eat the fruit and disperse the seeds. N ative to Japan and northern China, it was first introduced into the United States in 1870 as an ornamental and landscaping plant. This plant is a deciduous, woody, climbing vine with few tendrils, that reaches heights of more than 20 ft. (6.1 m). or is a trailing, or erect shrub. This plant prefers moist, porous, rich soils and can thrive in a wide range of light availability. This plant flowers on new growth. To manage spread, cut to the ground in late winter. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Japanese beetles will damage the foliage. This plant is weedy, and alternatives should be considered. See the left sidebar for suggestions. The NC Invasive Plant Council lists this as invasive.
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.
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; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Dense; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are deciduous, alternate, heart -shaped, simple or pinnately divided, and have coarse teeth along the margins. The leaves vary from slightly lobed to deeply dissected.
Flower color
Green; Insignificant; White
Flower form
Cyme
Flower detail
Greenish to white, inconspicuous flowers develop in small clusters in mid-summer.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Black; Blue; Green; Pink; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The rounded to oval berries are blue, green, pink, turquoise, light blue, black, and lavender. They are born in clusters in late summer and fall and are dry or slightly fleshy.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Japan and northern China
Wildlife value
It spreads very quickly since birds and mammals eat the fruit and disperse the seeds.