Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis glandulosa, formerly A. brevipedunculata) is a woody perennial vine (liana) native to Eastern Asia. It was introduced to the U.S. in the late 1800s for ornamental use (particularly the variegated cultivar 'Elegans'), and has since become invasive.
Physical features of porcelainberry
Photo: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Porcelainberry is a deciduous vine in the grape family that climbs over shrubs and small trees using tendrils. Porcelainberry blooms in mid- to late summer, and fruits (berries) ripen in autumn. Birds and other small animals eat the berries and disperse the seeds.
The foliage shape and growth habit of porcelainberry can be quite similar to that of wild grapes (Vitis species); all wild grape species in Maryland are native. The flowers and fruits of these two genera are easier to distinguish from one another than leaves alone, though with close inspection, foliage and stem traits (like bark and pith, the spongy tissue in the center of a split stem) are also distinctive for each species.
Growth rate and habit: rapid growth rate (several feet per year); vine climbing with tendrils
Typical mature size: greatly dependent on the height and width of its support, though climbing stems can easily reach 20 feet if scaling a tree
Blooms: upright, flat-topped, branched clusters of pale greenish-yellow, 5-petaled flowers
Leaves: simple (not divided into leaflets) with coarsely toothed margins; 3- to 5-lobed overall, but variable in shape, from shallow and somewhat maple-shaped to more deeply-cut intricate lobes
Fruit: upright clusters of berries that ripen in a range of hues (often teal-blue, violet, greenish-white, and rosy-lavender)
Stems: tendrils arise from the node, opposite a leaf; white pith; alternate arrangement on the stems
