Photo: Doronenko — CC BY 2.5 · source
Survives zone 4 through 7
⚠ Five-flavour berry — MEDICINAL/adaptogenic (tart, harsh, resinous). Used dried, as tea or tincture — NOT a dessert fruit.
- Hardiness
- Zone 4 to 7
- Habit
- Vine
- Edible part
- Fruit
- Ripens
- Autumn
- Mature size
- Vine 6–9 m, needs a trellis
- Light
- PARTIAL — forest vine: shaded, cool roots with the top growth in sun; scorches in full sun
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.0 (rich, moist)
- Environment
- Temperate forest
- Status
- Both wild and cultivated
- Years to fruit
- 3–4 yrs
- Pollination
- DIOECIOUS — needs male and female plants
Growing guide
Fertilizing. Not a heavy feeder; an annual mulch of compost or well-rotted manure supports fruiting in the rich, moisture-retentive soil it prefers, but excess nitrogen favors foliage over fruit.
How it spreads. Grows as one or several twining shoots from a woody crown and can produce root suckers over time, forming a multi-stemmed clump; suckers are easily removed or used for propagation, and the vine is not considered invasive.
Growing tips. Needs a sturdy trellis, arbor, or fence to twine on, and is largely untroubled by pests or diseases in cultivation. The dormant plant tolerates temperatures down to about -17°C (0°F), but young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts.