Oct 24 2011
Porcelain
With berries this beautiful no wonder the plant was imported.
Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) is native to China, Korea, Japan and far eastern Russia. Brought to the U.S. as an ornamental in the 1870′s it grows so well that it’s now invasive in Pennsylvania.
Porcelainberry resembles grapevine except that its stem pith is white, its bark doesn’t peel, and its berries are stunningly beautiful in turquoise, blue and pink. Birds eat the berries and give the seeds a free ride.
Do nothing and you’ll soon have porcelainberry in your garden.
Want to see it up close? Visit Schenley Park.
The berries are worth it.
(photo by Jonathan Nadle)
Are they human-edible? And if so, what do they taste like?
According to Wisconsin DNR (http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/fact/porc_berry.htm) the berries are edible.