CβL Posted July 27, 2012 Hey guys, Just wondering if anyone grows Silver Vine? If you haven't heard of it, the wiki page is a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia....iki/Silver_vine Actinidia polygama (also known as Silver Vine and Cat Powder) is a non-toxic[1] plant in the Actinidiaceae family. It grows in the mountainous areas of Japan and China at elevations between 500–1900 meters.Silver Vine is a vine that can reach up to 5–6 meters in maturity. It is a deciduous climber and is frost tender. The petiole leaves are silver and white in color and between 6–13 cm long and 4–9 cm wide. These colorful markings make the plant identifiable from afar, until the flowering season when the leaves turn completely green. The flowering season lasts from late June to early July, in which the plant bears white flowers about 2.5 cm in diameter. The longevity of an individual flower is 2–3 days. At this time, the plant also starts to develop small, yellow to yellow-red, egg-shaped, fleshy, and multi-seeded fruits, which mature in September to October. The fruit is approximately 1.5 cm wide and 3.0–4.0 cm long. The inside of the fruit resembles the common Kiwifruit, but it is orange in color rather than green. The Silver Vine plant requires moist, well drained soil, and partial shade to full sun. It is a fast growing vine that makes for good cover on a fence or trellis. It is becoming increasingly popular as an edible fruit crop. Silver Vine has long been known to elicit euphoric response in cats. It is the most popular cat treat in Asia, particularly in Japan and China. The reaction to Silver Vine is similar to the catnip response, but appears to be more intense. Typical behaviors include rolling, chin and cheek rubbing, drooling, and licking. The effect usually lasts between 5 and 30 minutes and cats will usually visit Silver Vine again after about 20–30 minutes It's also used for human medicine, and is extremely high in Vitamin C and E. It seems like an all-round awesome plant to grow. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted July 27, 2012 I am intrigued now to know if I could use this as a lure for feral cats...... I hate feral cats..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CβL Posted July 27, 2012 1) Plant vine 2) Dig a moat around the vine, and cover it with sticks and then dirt (pitfall moat) 3) ??? 4) So... would you like some.... cat stew? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted July 27, 2012 I was thinking plant around a structure like a carport with a deep roof space, encourage big angry owls to roost in the structure..... Good trellis for fruit production, and potential food for big owls....lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nemisty Posted July 27, 2012 I always wondered what would happen if you collected some lions pee from the zoo and put it around your house. How would the neighborhood cats would react? But back to the Silver vine, no I haven't grown it, my cats a bigger tripper than me so will look into that one. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CβL Posted July 27, 2012 It says it is frost tender, so I don't know if we can grow it. :/ But considering that I've had zero frosts so far (that's a dare; mother nature). I also checked trademe, and found no mention. I also found none on google, but found a .pdf from biosecurity.govt.nz that shows Actinidia (kiwifruit) micronutrient deficiencies, among other things. http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/regs/imports/plants/high-value-crops/peq-actinidi-testing.pdf Really good pictures. Probably useful for any leafy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shortly Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) You can buy cougar urine (as in the cat not the milf) as cat & dog repellant online, it was about $30L delivered from memory, i'll ask #1 son for the details in the AM Drives the neighbors barking dog insane Oh and stray catz stay about 3 streets away LOL Edited July 27, 2012 by shortly 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nemisty Posted July 27, 2012 It says it is frost tender, so I don't know if we can grow it. :/ But considering that I've had zero frosts so far (that's a dare; mother nature). I also checked trademe, and found no mention. I also found none on google, but found a .pdf from biosecurity.govt.nz that shows Actinidia (kiwifruit) micronutrient deficiencies, among other things. http://www.biosecuri...idi-testing.pdf Really good pictures. Probably useful for any leafy. Jesus that link went over my head. Polymerase chain reaction, I remember that from level 3 biology but the rest made my brain hurt. Wait, wait what? you've had zero frosts so far!? Shit its been sub zero every night up here apart from this week Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) very interesting shortly I love cats, but due to that all [edit] CATS from the neibourhood use my yards and roof like their luxury bathroom and mating ground, beyond other things. I wonder if this has anything to do with my Actinidia "Jenny" deliciosa I think, its a self-pollinated cultivar of the famous fruit[reddish hair] growing in the yard Edited July 28, 2012 by mutant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted July 28, 2012 It says it is frost tender, so I don't know if we can grow it. :/ it's only frost tender, the same way as a grapevine is frost tender. small fruited actindidia's are very frost hardy, even the (normal) kiwi fruit, can take -20 deg celcius, in it's dormant stage. only the early growth, of this vine is frost tender, and even if this would freeze off, the plant will produce simly some new shoots. actinidia kolomikta, for example is probably one of the most frost hardy, fruit producing plants on this plantet. anyway, i garantie you, this vine would even grow, and be happy, in the australian alps. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CβL Posted July 28, 2012 Awesome. Well, I just need to find some to grow then. :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
