Apocissus spp.
native grape
Overview
Apocissus spp. is a genus of climbing plants in the grape family Vitaceae, native to Australia. These are woody to semi-woody climbers that ascend by leaf-opposed tendrils, attaching to rocks, trees, and other supports as they scramble through vegetation. The leaves are alternate and either simple or divided into leaflets, with toothed margins, prominent veins, and a swollen node where each leaf meets the stem. Small greenish flowers are borne in branched, flat-topped clusters set opposite the leaves, each flower with four or five petals that drop early. These give way to small rounded berries that ripen dark purple to black and hold one to a few seeds; birds eat the fruit and spread the seed. Plants grow in forest margins, rocky slopes, gullies, and scrub across warm-temperate to subtropical parts of the continent. Growth is fastest in the warm, moist part of the year, slowing or pausing during cool or dry spells. The stems regrow quickly from the base after cutting or dieback, and the climbing habit lets a single plant cover a wide area of support. As in many grape relatives, the sap and unripe berries can contain irritant crystals that make the raw fruit unpalatable.
Native Range
Native to Australia, occurring in warm-temperate to subtropical regions of the continent. Plants grow at forest edges, in gullies and scrub, and on rocky slopes, climbing over shrubs and trees.Suggested Uses
Apocissus spp. is grown to cover fences, trellises, pergolas, and bare walls and to give quick warm-season screening. The fruit feeds birds, and the dense cover shelters small wildlife. In frost-free gardens the genus is also grown trailing from raised beds and large containers.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height10' - 30'
Width/Spread3' - 10'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Plants grow in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil of moderate fertility, with a pH near 6.0 to 7.5. The genus suits warm, frost-free to lightly frosted climates and is damaged by hard freezes, broadly matching USDA zones 9 to 11. A trellis, fence, or host shrub supports the tendril-climbing stems, which can cover a large area in a season. Propagation is from seed cleaned of pulp or from semi-hardwood cuttings taken in the warm months. Once established the plants tolerate short dry spells and respond to cutting back by resprouting from the base. Rich soil and steady warmth produce the fastest growth.Pruning
Stems can be cut back hard in late winter or early spring, which the plants tolerate by resprouting from the base. Thinning the climbing shoots keeps the vine within bounds on its support. Removing fruiting stems before the berries ripen limits self-sowing where the plant is unwanted.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 5 gallons