Japanese greenbrier is an East Asian relative of America's greenbriers, native to Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan; it does not grow wild in the United States. Unlike prickly greenbriers, it has soft, thornless stems that grow upright at first and later climb with tendrils.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A perennial with herbaceous, thornless stems 3–7 ft (1–2 m) long. The shoots stand upright at first, then a pair of tendrils at each leaf base lets the plant climb.
- Leaves
- Alternate, broadly oval leaves 2–6 in (5–15 cm) long, with smooth edges and a dull, powdery-white underside.
- Flowers
- Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Small yellow-green flowers form round clusters at the leaf bases in late spring.
- Fruit
- Round berries about ¼–⅜ in (6–10 mm) across that ripen black with a whitish bloom.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Fields
- Forest edges
- Mountain slopes
- Range
- Native to temperate East Asia: Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan. It is not a wild plant in the US.
- Preferred conditions
- In Japan it is typically found in sunny spots with poor soil, such as fields and forest edges.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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