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Bryonia dioica
Also called White bryony, Wild Hop, Red Bryony, Cretan Bryonia, Red Bryonia
Bryonia dioica is a perennial climbing vine from Central and Southern Europe, in the gourd family, with red berries and white or blue flowers. It is a wild climber best grown in full sun with plenty of room to scramble, and it is generally toxic.
Bryonia dioica, known by the common names red bryony and white bryony, also English mandrake or ladies' seal, is a perennial climbing vine indigenous to Central and Southern Europe. It is a flowering plant in the cucumber family Cucurbitaceae with five-pointed leaves and blue or white flowers. The vine produces a red berry fruit.
Bryonia dioica is generally toxic to humans. Application of its juice to the skin produces inflammation with a rash or ulcers, and consumption of this juice causes intense gastrointestinal irritation including nausea and vomiting in small doses, and anxiety, paralysis, or death in larger amounts.
The seed of this vine, by contrast, is safely edible, and finds use in Western Europe as an ingredient in starch dishes.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Bryonia dioica 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.
