James H. Schutte
Family
Vitaceae
Botanical Name
Cissus alata
Plant Common Name
Grape Ivy
General Description
Given its name for its black fruits, grape ivy boasts handsomely toothed leaves that are glossy and green. A modest, climbing or rambling evergreen vine, it hails from Central and South America and the Caribbean Basin.
The leaves are trifoliate, each comprised of three leaflets that are rhombus-shaped with sparse teeth on their edges. Light bronze-green when young, the leaves mature to a deeper green and bear red hairs on their underside. In summer, unshowy, haired green flowers appear and give way to rounded black fruits gathered in sparse clusters. The plant climbs with tendrils.
Grow grape ivy in a loamy, fertile, well-draining soil that is not alkaline. It tolerates full sun to full shade conditions, allowing it to be grown outdoors in tropical areas or indoors as a houseplant. Allow soil to dry out between waterings, and keep the plant drier in winter. Use it as a vine to cover a modest-sized wall outdoors, or as a rambling groundcover. Indoors, this plant is great in a container but perhaps most impressive in a hanging basket.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 9
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USDA Hardiness Zone
11 - 15
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Vine/Liana
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade
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Height
5'-15' / 1.5m - 4.6m (10)
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Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
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Native To
Latin America and the Caribbean
Special Characteristics
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Bark Texture
Smooth
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Usage
Container, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Houseplant, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical, Vine
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Self-Sowing
No
