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Sorrelvine

Cissus trifoliata

Other common name(s):

Cow-itch Vine, Cow Itch Vine, Grape Ivy, Possum Grape, Arizona Grape Ivy

Family:

Vitaceae (Grape Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Vine

Height

1
to
30
ft.

Spread

.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Semi Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Loam, Clay, Poor Drainage, Moist, Neutral, Saline

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium, High

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland, Wetland or Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Yellow, Green, Purple

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Berry, Nectar, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Small Mammals, Nectar Insects

Maintenance

Can climb as a vine or be used as a ground cover. Drought tolerant. Grows in a variety of habitats; chaparral, salt marshes, stream banks, open woodlands, and disturbed areas.

Comments

Blooms May-July. Common herbaceous, twining vine with 3-lobed leaves that are succulent leaves that give off a fetid odor when crushed. Flowers small, in greenish clusters. Produces small berries that become black when mature. The vine has tuberous roots, a woody base, and fleshy red stems above. Evergreen in warmer climates and deciduous in colder areas. The roots of this species are poisonous and its sap can cause contact dermatitis. Larval Host: Wilson’s Wood-nymph Moth.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Cissus incisa, Sicyos trifoliatus

References

1) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=28640#null 2) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=24057&locationType=County&mapType=Normal 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CITR2, 4) https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287565, 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Cissus+trifoliata&formsubmit=Search+Terms

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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