What are the care for ampelopsis?

Vines are great plants, with which you can have a spectacular garden with little care. There are many genera and species, but the one that I am going to present to you on this occasion will surely delight you; the ampelopsis.

With minimal care, you can enjoy it to the fullest. And if you don’t believe me, try our tips and see for yourself.

Origin and characteristics

Our protagonist is a deciduous vine which belongs to the genus Parthenocissus, which is distributed throughout the Asian continent and North America. It is known as virgin vine or ampelopsis. It develops woody stems, from which tendrils sprout that help it climb. The leaves are bright green that turn reddish during the fall. The flowers are arranged in panicles, and are very small, green in color. The fruit is a small bluish-black berry that is toxic, and therefore should not be consumed.

Its growth rate is very fastso you will not have to wait long to get to cover that wall that you like so little, or that lattice that has been left empty.

Main species

The botanical genus Parthenocissus is made up of about fifteen species, of which the best known are the following:

Parthenocissus dalzielii

The Parthenocissus dalzielii It is a deciduous climber native to East and Southeast Asia. It is characterized by its leaves, formed by three leaflets whose margins are light green jagged. Its fruits look like dark blue grapes.

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

The Parthenocissus quinquefoliaknown as virgin vine, virgin vine, or Virginia creeper, is a deciduous climber native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada, and eastern Mexico. Its leaves are formed by 5 elliptical or obovate leaflets, green in color. The fruits are dark blue.

Parthenocissus semicordata

The Parthenocissus semicordata is a climber native to the Himalayas that produces leaves with three leaflets. These have a green beam and a lighter underside.. The margins are jagged. Its fruits are dark in color, you could almost say that they are black.

Parthenocissus tricuspidata

The Parthenocissus tricuspidata It is a deciduous climber known as a virgin vine. It is native to eastern Asia, where it grows in Japan, Korea, and southern and eastern China. Its leaves are lobed and dark green. The fruit is bluish, very dark in color.

Parthenocissus veitchii

The Parthenocissus veitchii, whose full scientific name is Parthenocissus tricuspidata ‘Veitchi’, It is a less vigorous climber than the P. tricuspidata. In fact, while the latter can reach 30 meters, the ‘Veitchi’ reaches 15 meters.

What are their cares?

Do you need a climbing plant that grows fast and without support to cover a wall, pergola or lattice? Then we recommend having an ampelopsis or Parthenocissus. Although it can reach impressive heights, it is so well tolerant of pruning that it could be grown even in small gardens without problems, but how?

If you have doubts, below we will explain the care you should provide:

Location

The ampelopsis is a climber that it has to be in the garden or on a patio for example, but always outside. Inside the house it would not survive, since it must feel the passage of the seasons to know when to grow and when to stop feeding its leaves to go into hibernation.

Its roots are not invasive, but if we take into account its rapid development and vigor, it is highly recommended that other plants are not planted too close to it. Ideally, there should be a distance of at least 3 feet between the vine and the other plant you want to plant in that corner.

Also, you should know that although it can tolerate some sun, it is not uncommon for its leaves to burn with it, especially if it has been in that place for a short time and if the degree of insolation is very high. So, it is preferable to have it in semi-shade.

Earth

• Flower pot: it is not demanding, so you can fill it with universal growing medium. In any case, we recommend mixing it with 30% perlite, or adding a first layer of clay to the pot to improve drainage.
• the garden: it is indifferent as long as it has good drainage. It can grow well in clay soils if they drain the water fast.

Irrigation

How often to water the Parthenocissus? Well, this will depend on whether it rains or not, the temperature, whether it is in a pot or in the ground, and the type of soil or substrate in which it grows, among other factors. Thus, The most advisable thing is that you go checking the humidity of the soil that your plant has, and water only when it is almost dry.

Thus, in general, and if the weather is very warm and in your area it rains little, it would be watered about 3 times a week or 4 during the hottest season, and somewhat less in winter.

Subscriber

It is advisable to fertilize your climber from spring to late summer / early fallsince it is when it is growing. Use a universal fertilizer for plants or organic fertilizers such as mulch or guano.

Multiplication

If you want to get new copies, you should know that multiplies by seeds and cuttings during spring.

Pruning

When it comes to pruning it, You have to remove all the stems that look bad, and trim those that are getting too long. Use pruning shears They are clean and disinfected, and do not be afraid to give it a drastic pruning (that is, if your plant measures 5 meters, you could cut its height in half without problems).

The pruning season is late wintershortly before the leaves sprout.

Rusticity

Withstands cold and frost up to -7ºC.

What did you think of ampelopsis? Have you heard of her? Now you know how to take care of it to be able to enjoy its beauty from day one .