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Wild Grape

18 years ago

While out fishing today I spotted a tangled patch of woody vine that looks like wild grape. I'd have snapped a picture if I had my camera but .... oh, well.

This plant looks like it might be hard to handle once it gets going - I wonder if anyone has had experience with this vine. I think the California Wild Grape turns red in the fall. I don't know a thing about this particular one that was rampant along the lake shore.

Is this safe to transplant? Or am I asking for trouble?

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Comments (7)

sabe
18 years ago
the fact that it runs rampant along the shore would make me nervous.

without a positive ID, you should be wary and assume it might be Porceline Berry, which is incredibly invasive and is very hard to remove once its established. (at least in my neck of the woods, in which I battle this vine at almost every turn)
geoffc
Original Author
18 years ago
I think your right, sabe. I'll verify the ID before I do anything, but I think this vine would be best suited to an arbor or trellis. If I set it loose in the woods, I could be creating a Frankenvine monster.
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I try to cut them down every year, but man do those things grow fast! And thick vines! Some are as thick as my wrist and grow so high up in the trees there's no way I can reach them. But...I'll find a place for the new ones and keep a good eye on them. Thanks. ;) V.
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Yes, I agree not moonseed, looks like wild grapes. But since we are talking about eating wild plants, I just wanted to mention the look alike so the OP and anyone reading this post (and we both know there are plenty of those!) would know that not everything that looks like a wild grape might be a wild grape. I personally have never seen moonseed. Grapes, on the other hand... I live in a part of the US known for grapes and wine. Wild grapes grow every place. They are a common "weed" for me to deal with in gardens. Old vines in forests here get as thick as young tree trunks - you could swing on the vines like Tarzan! I would think nothing of using anything that looked like wild grapes. But I'm sure not everyone has the same situation, hence the word of caution. :) FataMorgana
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Beware of look-alike Moonseed which has a similar leaf and a single seed in the shape of a flat crescent on the inside of each fruit.
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Comments (1)
Mick, that may be the variety my parents looked for each year. They got harder and harder to locate, since the area became more and more residential. I live in SW Missouri -- could they also be called Fox Grapes? If so, they certainly were in our area and made wonderful jelly. You might google this variety, also contact Missouri Conservation Dept. and even Newton County Extension office for more information. Good luck - Sunny
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sabe
18 years ago
Geoff,
while its not a hard and fast rule, I have found in my own experiences that "real" grape will have a darker, reddish brown color, with an almost hardwood look to the vine at its base "trunk", as well as have bark that easily peels off in 6-8" strips. At least that's how my mature grapes look.

as a contrast, Porceline Berry seems to just be very "viney" regardless of how mature, or thick, the base "trunks" become and the bark never seems to get that same texture as the grapes.

I'm sure there's other ways to tell, but that's at least the most obvious indicator when I examine the ones on my property.
geoffc
Original Author
18 years ago
Sabe, this is almost certainly wild grape. I've found it now in several locations, and had the ID confirmed by some old timers.

The bark is as you describe. Because the stuff is wild, native and prolific I'm kind of fascinated by it. I've got some stem cuttings in pots to see what happens. I'm new to this and have never done cuttings before, so who knows what'll happen ... But, I GOTS to know!
Jonathan
18 years ago
How did your cuttings turn out?
an8lemongirl
18 years ago
Wild grape is a fantastic source of art and crafts work. I live in Missouri and we are over crowded with the stuff. Some of the land owners ( who harvest their trees) will even pay you to go and harvest it. I have been making....O.K..... attempting to make my own furniture I just fell in love with the stuff.
windstorm86
18 years ago
I also live in MO and have an abundance of wild grapes. Year before last we had a grape fiasco(?) Boy was the grape jelly good! Last year wasn't so hot. They do have their uses.

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