Japanese name: ツタ（蔦） Scientific name:Parthenocissus tricuspidata
[Overview]
A deciduous woody climber seen at forest edges, on cliffs and on the walls of houses.
Opposite the leaves are tendrils whose tips form suckers, by which the plant attaches to other objects.
When the trunk becomes thick, it produces many aerial roots.
The leaves are alternate; on branches that bear inflorescences they are ovate, 5–15 cm in both length and width, 3-lobed, with coarse serrations on the margin and a leaf stalk 15 cm long.
Leaves on branches without inflorescences are small, sometimes divided into 3 lobes all the way to the base, and have short leaf stalks.
The leaves turn red in autumn.
Cymes 3–6 cm long are borne opposite the leaves and carry small cream to yellowish-green five-petaled flowers.
The fruit is a spherical fleshy berry 0.5–0.7 cm in diameter that ripens bluish black and is covered with a white bloom.
When the fruit ripens, the fruit stalk turns red.
[Uses]
The roots and stems are used medicinally.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by division or cuttings.
It prefers fertile, well-drained soil in sun to partial shade.
With poor sunlight, the autumn color develops poorly.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
For potted plants, place slow-release fertilizer on the soil from spring to autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
