Wild grape

Wild grapes are natural, uncultivated grapes. There are many species. Most are similar to each other, and difficult to tell apart. Fox grape (vitis labrusca), summer grape (vitis aestivalis), and riverbank grape (vitis riparia) are some common species.

Wild grapes have woody vines which can climb over thirty feet tall. They have large, three-lobed leaves with teeth on the edges. They can be found on streambanks, pond edges, roadsides, and in open woods. In woods, the vine is probably very large and has grown up with the tree.

Wild grapes use tendrils (like above-ground roots) to grab onto branches or bark of larger plants. The bark is brownish-gray and very shreddy.

Wild grape flowers are green and small. They bloom from May to July. The fruit, of course, is what grapes are known for. They grow large berries in clusters of up to twenty. Fruits become ripe from August to October. The fruit is very important for wildlife. Each berry contains two to six seeds. When animals eat the fruit, they help spread the vines by defecating seeds in new places.

Many birds nest in wild grape tangles, and many use bark from the vine to build nests.

Gallery

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  Vitis labrusca with berries
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  Vitis riparia
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  Vitis riparia leaves and fruit