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Bryonia alba
Also called European White Bryony, Eastern White Bryony
White bryony is a vigorous perennial climbing vine with a large tuberous root, native to Europe and parts of Asia, and grown as a wild climber or ornamental rather than a garden crop. Its key trait is aggressive, kudzu-like growth, so it needs firm containment.
Bryonia alba, known by the common name white bryony, is a vigorous vine in the family Cucurbitaceae, found in Europe and Northern Iran. It has a growth habit similar to kudzu, which gives it a highly destructive potential outside its native range as a noxious weed. Other common names include false mandrake, English mandrake, wild vine, wild nep, tamus, ladies' seal, and tetterbury.
All parts of Bryonia alba contain bryonin which is poisonous and may cause illness or death. Livestock may also be poisoned by consuming the fruit and leaves. Forty berries constitutes a lethal dose for adult humans.
White bryony is native to Europe and Northern Iran. It has also been introduced to the United States, where it is listed as a noxious weed in Washington, Idaho.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Bryonia alba by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
