Holboellia coriacea - Sausage Vine

Holboellia coriacea, also called the Sausage Vine, is a vigorous climbing plant that is not well known, but has great decorative value, resembling its cousins Akebia and Stauntonia. This climbing plant is characterised by its evergreen foliage and fairly discreet but deliciously fragrant spring flowering, with male and female flowers that look different. The small female flowers, whitish-green, emerge at the base of new shoots, while the male flowers, more mauve, appear at the tips of climbing branches adorned with dark green, leathery leaves. Some purple-violet fruits, similar to plums, are produced during the hottest summers. Moderately hardy, this plant is nevertheless easy to grow in well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil, in any exposure.

Holboellia coriacea belongs to the Lardizabalaceae family. This climbing plant is native to mixed subtropical forests in southeast China. It is an evergreen woody liana that can reach a height of 5 to 7 metres (16 to 23 feet) and a width of 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 feet). Its growth is quite fast. Its leaves are compound, with 3 elliptical to ovate elliptical leaflets measuring 6 to 10cm (2 to 4in) in length and 4 to 5cm (2in) in width. They are more or less leathery and glossy, with slightly revolute margins and dark green colour. This plant has the characteristic of producing monoecious flowers at the beginning of spring, either male or female, which look different. The female flowers are whitish-green, with sepals slightly striated with purple, while the male flowers are more mauve-purple. They are all delicately fragrant and have bell-shaped flowers measuring 10 to 16mm (0.5in) in length, composed only of sepals and with a waxy texture. The flowers are grouped in clusters. Flowering is followed by the formation of a few purple fruits measuring 5 to 6cm (2in) in length, oval and bumpy, which are edible if they reach maturity in autumn.

Holboellia coriacea climbs vigorously if allowed, up to the tops of small trees. It requires a sheltered position under most climates. By training the twining stems as they grow, this plant can be used to cover a fence or trellis, thanks to its vigorous growth. It can accompany Glycine floribunda Premature in a Japanese-style scene, or mix with the flowering of clematis and Japanese honeysuckle. This holboellia can also be grown in large pots, which can be protected from extreme cold.

Its roots were formerly used in Chinese medicine.