Common Name:

General Information

Ampelopsis japonica is a deciduous, climbing shrub with stems up to 6 metres long growing from a tuberous rootstock. The plant scrambles over the ground, climbing into surrounding vegetation where it attaches itself by means of coiling tendrils[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is sometimes cultivated in Japan for medicinal use[]. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Korea

Habitat

Mountain sides[]. Usually climbing into trees and shrubs on hillsides and thickets, also found on grasslands, at elevations of 100 - 900 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ampelopsis japonica is capable of withstanding temperatures down to -12°c or lower when it is dormant in the winter. However, the young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[].
Prefers a deep rich loam in a warm sheltered position in sun or semi-shade[, ]. Requires plenty of root room[].
Plants rarely produce fruit in Britain except after a long hot summer[].
Plants are occasionally cultivated in Japan for medicinal purposes[].
The plants climb by means of coiling tendrils but large plants often need tying in to support the weight of their foliage[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The tuberous root has A sweet flavour. It is anodyne, antibacterial, anticonvulsive, antifungal, bitter, cooling, depurative, expectorant, febrifuge and vulnerary[, , ]. A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of tuberculous cervical nodes, pyogenic infections, bleeding from haemorrhoids, skin inflammations, ulcerous diseases of the skin and burn injuries[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in pots in a cold frame in the autumn or stratify for 6 weeks at 5°c and sow in the spring[]. Germination can be quite slow, sometimes taking more than a year. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. When they are more than 20cm tall, they can be planted out into their permanent positions, preferably in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm long, mid summer in a frame[].
Cuttings or eyes in late autumn or winter. Either place them in the ground in a greenhouse or cold frame, or put them in pots. An eye cutting is where you have just one bud at the top and a short length of stem with a small part of the bark removed. These normally root well and grow away vigorously, being ready to plant into their permanent positions the following autumn.
Layering into pots in late summer. Partially sever the stem in spring and then lift the new plants in the autumn[].