Knowledgebase

Can you identify this vine, #395071

Asked April 21, 2017, 2:32 PM EDT

I have a type of vine growing in several places near my new home that I cannot identify. Attached is a photo of a clipping from a young vine, so the leaves are small. I don't know how large the leaves will eventually be. Can you help me identify the vine?

Montgomery County Maryland

Expert Response

We think this could be either invasive porcelain berry or native wild grape, both of which look similar in their immature growth stage. Check the underside of the leaves. If there are hairs present only on the veins and not on the leaf surface, then it is probably porcelain berry. If the underside of the leaf is hairy, it is most likely wild grape. Another test would be to slice open a stem and look at the pith (the inner spongy material in the center of the stem). In porcelain berry, the pith is white; in wild grape it is brown. Here is a link to a great guide from the New York Botanical Garden on these two “look-alikes” and how to tell the difference between them (pp.28-29). https://www.nybg.org/files/scientists/rnaczi/Mistaken_Identity_Final.pdf  Porcelain berry is invasive in our area and it is very difficult to remove once it gets established.

CKC

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