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FACT SHEET: PORCELAIN-BERRY

Porcelain-berry 

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Maxim.) Trautv. 

Grape family (Vitaceae) 

NATIVE RANGE 

Northeast Asia - China, Korea, Japan, and Russian Far East 

DESCRIPTION 

Porcelain-berry is a deciduous, woody, perennial vine. It twines with the help of 

non-adhesive tendrils that occur opposite the leaves and closely resembles 

native grapes in the genus Vitis. The stem pith of porcelain-berry is white 

(grape is brown) and continuous across the nodes (grape is not), the bark has 

lenticels (grape does not), and the bark does not peel (grape bark peels or 

shreds). The Ieaves are alternate, broadly ovate with a heart-shaped base, 

palmately 3-5 lobed or more deeply dissected, and have coarsely toothed 

margins. The inconspicuous, greenish-white flowers with "free" petals occur in 

cymes opposite the leaves from June through August (in contrast to grape 

species that have flowers with petals that touch at tips and occur in panicles. 

The fruits appear in September-October and are colorful, changing from pale 

lilac, to green, to a bright blue. Porcelain-berry is often confused with species 

of grape (Vitis) and may be confused with several native species of 

Ampelopsis -- Ampelopsis arborea and Ampelopsis cordata. 

ECOLOGICAL THREAT 

Porcelain-berry is a vigorous invader of open and wooded habitats. It grows and spreads quickly in areas with high to 

moderate light. As it spreads, it climbs over shrubs and other vegetation, shading out native plants and consuming habitat. 

DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES 

Porcelain-berry is found from New England to North Carolina and west to 

Michigan (USDA Plants) and is reported to be invasive in twelve states in the 

Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, 

New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington D.C., West 

Virginia, and Wisconsin. 

HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES 

Porcelain-berry grows well in most soils, especially forest edges, pond 

margins, stream banks, thickets, and waste places, where there is full sunlight 

to partial shade, and where it is not permanently wet. Porcelain-berry appears 

to be less tolerant of heavily shaded areas, such as that found in mature forest interiors. 

BACKGROUND 

Porcelain-berry was originally cultivated around the 1870s as a bedding and landscape plant. In spite of its 

aggressiveness in some areas, it is still used in the horticultural trade (for example, the ornamental A. brevipedunculata

'Elegans' is often recommended as a landscape plant with a cautionary note that "care must be taken to keep it from 

overtaking and shading out small plants"). The same characteristics that make porcelain-berry a desirable plant for the 

garden -- its colorful berries, good ground coverage, trellis-climbing vines, pest-resistance, and tolerance of adverse 

conditions -- are responsible for its presence in the United States as an undesirable invader. 

BIOLOGY & SPREAD 

Porcelain-berry spreads by seed and through vegetative means. The colorful fruits, each with two to four seeds, attract 

birds and other small animals that eat the berries and disperse the seeds in their droppings. The seeds of porcelain-berry 
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germinate readily to start new infestations. Porcelain-berry is often found growing in riparian areas downstream from 

established patches, suggesting they may be dispersed by water also. The taproot of porcelain-berry is large and 

vigorous. Resprouting will occur in response to cutting of above-ground portions. 

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS 

Because porcelain-berry vines can grow up to 15 ft. in a single growing 

season, especially when rainfall is abundant, and seed may be viable in the 

soil for several years, effective control requires dedicated followup. Treatment 

measures often must be repeated during the growing season and for several 

years afterwards to fully eradicate the plant. Prevention of flowering, fruiting 

and production of mature seeds will help reduce its spread. 

Manual 

Hand pulling of vines in the fall or spring will prevent flower buds from forming 

the following season. Where feasible, plants should be pulled up by hand 

before fruiting to prevent the production and dispersal of seeds. If the plants 

are pulled while in fruit, the fruits should be bagged and disposed of in a 

landfill. For vines too large to pull out, cut them near the ground and either 

treat cut stems with systemic herbicide or repeat cutting of regrowth as 

needed. 

Chemical 

Chemical control in combination with manual and mechanical methods is effective and likely to be necessary for large 

infestations. The systemic herbicides triclopyr (e.g., Garlon® 3A and Garlon® 4) and glyphosate (e.g., Roundup® and 

Rodeo®) have been used successfully by many practitioners. 

Foliar applications

The most effective control has been achieved using triclopyr formulations. From summer to fall, apply a water-based 

solution of 2.5% Garlon® 3A (triclopyr amine) to foliage or cut plants first, allow time for regrowth and then apply the 

mixture. Smaller infestations can be controlled to some extent with spot applications of glyphosate to leaves, used 

sparingly to avoid contact of desirable plants with spray. Cut the vines back during the summer and allow to resprout 

before applying herbicide, or apply glyphosate to leaves in early autumn, just prior to senescence. 

Basal bark applications

Apply a mixture of 20-30% Garlon® 4 (triclopyr ester) mixed with commercially available basal oil, horticultural oil, diesel 

fuel, No. 1 or No. 2 fuel oil, or kerosene, to 2 - 3 ft. long sections of stem near the base of the vines. 

 

USE PESTICIDES WISELY: Always read the entire pesticide label carefully, follow all mixing and application instructions and wear all 

recommended personal protective gear and clothing. Contact your state department of agriculture for any additional pesticide use 

requirements, restrictions or recommendations. 

NOTICE: mention of pesticide products on this page does not constitute endorsement of any material.

CONTACT 

For more information on the management of Porcelainberry, please contact: 

• Lisa Jameson, National Park Service, National Capital Region, Exotic Plant Management Team, Washington, DC, 

20007; Lisa_Jameson at nps.gov 

• Susan Salmons, National Park Service, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC; Sue_Salmons at nps.gov; 202-426-

6834, ext. 33 

• Jil Swearingen, National Park Service, Center for Urban Ecology, Washington, DC; Jil_Swearingen at nps.gov 

SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE PLANTS 

Many lovely non-invasive vines are available. Some native substitutes to consider include trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera 

sempervirens), trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens)*, Virginia creeper 

(Parthenocissus quinquefolia), and goldflame honeysuckle (Lonicera heckrottii). In the southeast, several species of 
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native Ampelopsis occur and should be considered if the habitat is appropriate. Please consult the native plant society in 

your state for more suggestions and information on sources of native plants. 

*NOTE: If you wish to plant wisteria, make certain that it is the native species. Two commonly planted ornamental 

wisterias, Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda), are exotic and aggressive 

invaders. 

OTHER LINKS 

• http://www.invasive.org/search/action.cfm?q=Ampelopsis%20brevipedunculata 

• http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/icat/browse.do?specieId=38

AUTHOR 

Jamie Young, National Research Council, Washington, DC 

EDITOR 

Jil M. Swearingen, National Park Service, Washington, DC 

REVIEWERS 

Carol Jelich, Ann F. Rhoads, and Louisa Thompson 

PHOTOGRAPHS 

Jil M. Swearingen, National Park Service, Washington, DC 

REFERENCES 

Dirr, Michael A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing, Chicago. 

Gleason, H.A. and Cronquist, A. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, 

Second Edition. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY. 

Magee, D.W. and H.E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst. 

Maryland Native Plant Society. Control of Invasive Non-Native Plants: A Guide for Gardeners and Homeowners in the 

Mid-Atlantic Region. Online. Available: http://mdflora.org/publications/invasives.htm 

Randall, J. M., and Marinelli, J. 1996. Invasive Plants: Weeds of the Global Garden. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Handbook 

#149. 

Rehder, A. Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs Hardy in North America Exclusive of the Subtropical and Warmer 

Temperate Zones, 2nd ed. The MacMillan Company, New York. 996 pp. 

Rhoads, A.F. and T.A Block. 2000.The Plants of Pennsylvania, An Illustrated Manual. University of Pennsylvania Press. 

1061 pp. 

Robertson, D.J., M.C. Robertson, and T. Tague. 1994. Colonization dynamics of four exotic plants in a northern Piedmont 

natural area. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 121(2):107-118. 

Rose, N. 1998. Field Notes: Ampelopsis brevipedunculata 'Elegans'. American Nurseryman. 

Salmons, S. 2000. Rock Creek Park Invasive Non-Native Plant Mitigation Program. Final Report. National Park Service, 

Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC. 

Swearingen, J. 2009. WeedUS Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States: Porcelainberry 

(Ampelopsis brevipedunculata). http://www.invasive.org/weedus/subject.html?sub=3007. 
20 May 2005 Page 4 of 4 

Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online 

Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://www.arsgrin.gov/var/apache/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?2964 (01 September 2004). 

USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 

70874-4490 USA. 

Virginia Native Plant Society. Invasive Alien Plant Species of Virginia: Porcelain-berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata

(Maxim.) Trautv.).