White bryony

Family: Cucurbitaceae. Native to the European part of Russia, Central Asia, Western Europe, the Mediterranean.

Perennial plant with a large, overwintering, fleshy, tuber-like root. The stems are flexible, climbing supports by means of tendrils, up to 6 m long. Leaves are small, five-lobed, dark green, slightly pubescent with sparse, stiff hairs. Flowers are small, yellowish, not of ornamental value. The fruit is a black, juicy berry.

By the end of summer the shoots turn yellow and dry out. It loses ornamental value earlier than other plants. Self-seeds. The photograph shows an annual seedling.

Propagation: by sowing seeds in late autumn into well-fertilized and prepared beds.

Uses: for vertical decoration of arbors, fences, balconies. All parts of the plant are POISONOUS, which limits its use.

based on materials from the website www.flower.onego.ru