Stauntonia chinensis

Photo: 阿橋 HQ — CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Survives zone 8 through 9

Harvest calendar

Best planted in early spring after your last frost, or in fall before the ground freezes, depending on your climate.

Edible fruit, but this species is far better documented as a traditional Chinese medicinal plant (root and stem used in decoctions) than as a food — flavor and eating-quality details specific to the fruit are thin in the sources available. Care: Winter protection — mulch, fleece, or a warm wall.

Hardiness

Zone 8–9

Habit

Vine

Edible part

Fruit

Ripens

Autumn (pods split)

Mature size

Evergreen twining vine 6–10 m; containerable with hard pruning

Light

Partial shade

Soil pH

6.0–7.0

Environment

Subtropical

Native range

Central and southern China, in montane forest and scrub.

Status

Wild

Years to fruit

3–4 yrs

Growth speed

1–3 m/year — fast, evergreen, and needs solid support.

Spacing

300 cm (118 in) apart — about 9 m² (97 sq ft) per plant

Leaf shape

Evergreen, alternate and palmate with three to seven leathery, glossy leaflets on long slender stalks.

Root system

Vigorous, fibrous and spreading, with stems rooting where they trail along the ground; less aggressively suckering than Akebia but still capable of covering a lot of ground.

Fruit description

Oblong purple fruits 4–7 cm long, splitting to reveal sweet whitish pulp with numerous black seeds.

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings in summer, or layering — the trailing stems root readily on contact. Seed is slow, best sown fresh, and can take up to 18 months to germinate.

Pollination

SELF-INCOMPATIBLE — plant 2 genetically distinct vines (a common failure)

The edible parts listed above are a starting point, not a field guide. Identify a plant with certainty — ideally against a local authority — before eating any part of it, and read the full disclaimer. Spotted something wrong? Report it.