Porcelain vine: Might need careful handling

Oh, how I love those mouthful names: Ampelopsis brevipedunculata

Its pretty, many-coloured blue and purple berries give porcelain vine its name. I had one of these members of the grape family – the one with the variegated leaves – in the wrong spot in my garden. Please note the use of the past tense. It's a lovely vine "when well grown." I couldn't resist snapping a shot of these at the Wychwood Barns.

But, drat! Unfortunately, it's another lovely non-native vine, like Hall's honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica 'Halliana'), that's a little too free with its seeding habits. Birds and critters eat the berries and sprinkle the seeds around with their doings. In the right conditions, these fast-growing vines can get a stranglehold on native spaces.

In many states of New England, immediately across the Great Lakes, Ampelopsis is classed as an invasive exotic species. In Ontario, it's on the watch list [PDF]. Warmer parts of the province might be most at-risk. With warming lake-effect and sheltered microclimates, that includes pockets of the city.

So please be careful, especially if you live near wild areas, as many of us in Toronto do. Little shards of porcelain vine would not be great to have flying off (and up) in unwanted directions.