Do you have a word you like to say?  You know, one of those words that just come off the tongue and you get a rush of endorphin’s and a kind of buzz in your head.  Maybe its a tongue twister or maybe it holds a fond memory?  Well this weeks Plant of the Week is one of my favorite words of all time, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata.  Let’s practice saying it together; Am-peh-lop-sis Brev-ih-ped-unk-ew-lay-tah.  For anyone uninterested in my favorite word, it also goes by the common name Porcelainberry.  Admittedly the common name is a more forgiving word to pronounce, but OH how I love its scientific name!  Now without further adieu let’s talk about what makes this plant great in your garden!

Porcelainberry is low maintenance and easily grown when planted in well-drained soil and provided with full sun to partial shade.  When provided with the proper growing space it will produce beautiful porcelain multicolored berries and will get variegated leaves.  The berries grow in Fall and attract birds, as well as your eye.  Unfortunately there are not showy flowers to this vine, so most of the plants interest will only be found in the Fall.  However do not let this deter you from it, in my opinion the beautiful berries more than make up for the lack of significant flowering.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  This plant is considered invasive on the East Coast of the United States and SHOULD NOT be planted in those areas.  Currently I have had no problem with it here in Indiana.

Anyone interested in reading more about this plant should check out this website here.