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Vines

Vines

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California Native Plants

California Native Plants

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Gardening Guides → Native Plants

California Gardening

California Gardening

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Gardening Guides → Regional Garden Guides

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California Native Plants

Gardening for Butterflies

Gardening for Butterflies

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Gardening Guides

Great Design Plant: Try California Wild Grape for Interest All Year

Sure, it’s stunning in fall. But the spring buds, summer grapes and gnarled winter vines are gorgeous too

Debbie Ballentine July 22, 2014

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California wild grape is known best for its sensational fall colors, but it is much more than a one-season plant. In spring its silvery leaves and tiny buds emerge from bare vines. In summer the lush foliage with ripening fruit will conceal that undesirable chain-link fence. And in winter it reveals its most interesting feature — its gnarled and peeling vine branches. California wild grape is truly a four-season plant.

As with many vines, this one can grow fast and furiously. Pruning in winter keeps it manageable and lovely. Use it to quickly cover a fence, an arbor or a wall; it can even be used as a ground cover. It works in many situations — wet or dry soil, sun or partial shade, clay or sand — and makes a charming statement throughout the year.

Caution: The fruit of California wild grape is toxic to dogs.

Landscape by Las Pilitas Nursery

Las Pilitas Nursery

Botanical name: Vitis californica
Common name: California wild grape
Origin: Riparian woodlands, streamsides, springs and canyons below 4,000 feet; Western foothills and the east side of the Sierra Nevada, Central Valley and Coast Ranges to southern Oregon
Where it will grow: Hardy to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 7 to 10; find your zone)
Water requirement: Infrequent to moderate; drought tolerant once established
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Soil requirement: Adaptable to different soils
Mature size: 40 feet long
Benefits and tolerances: Clay tolerant

Contemporary Entry by John J. Kehoe Photography

John J. Kehoe Photography

Seasonal Interest

Spring: New leaves and buds; tender, silver-green leaves and tiny bundles of buds emerge from the twisted vine branches.
Summer: Lush leaves and fruit; full, lush leaves shade the green grapes until they ripen in late summer to deep purple, intensely flavored — if small — table grapes.
Autumn: Colorful foliage; the leaves change to bright reds, oranges and yellows; the grapes will continue to ripen, then start to dry, like raisins
Winter: Bare vines; the peeling bark on twisted and gnarled vines is both elegant and rugged.

When to plant: Fall to spring is ideal

Landscape by David A. Hofmann

David A. Hofmann

Wildlife value. California wild grape provides dense cover for wildlife; nectar for pollinators, including California’s Hummingbird Moth; and naturally dried “raisin” fruit for birds. Of course, people enjoy eating the fruit too! Some make jellies and jams.

Distinguishing traits. This is a fast-growing deciduous vine that provides stunning fall color, intensely flavored grapes in summer and interest from gnarled bare vines in winter.

Landscape by Debbie Ballentine

Debbie Ballentine

Woody and peeling vine branches that are both elegant and rugged are revealed in winter.

Landscape by Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds

Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds

How to use it. Great for arbors, walls and fences. Many use it to cover an unsightly garden structure, such as a chain-link fence. Plant it where its bright fall colors can be enjoyed by all.

Landscape by Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds

Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds

Other species, cultivars and hybrids:

Vitis californica ‘Roger’s Red’ (shown): This robust selection was originally thought by horticulturist Roger Raiche to be fully native. Later DNA testing revealed that it is a naturally occurring hybrid with the agricultural grape V. vinifera. ‘Roger’s Red’ is a particularly vigorous vine that can easily reach 40 feet in length. It is readily available in nurseries and adored for its shocking scarlet leaves in fall.
‘Russian River’: A cultivar with plum-red autumn leaves that persist into winter
‘Walker Ridge’: A smaller cultivar that grows to 15 feet; gray-green leaves in summer; bright yellow and orange-red leaves in fall
Vitis girdiana: A heat-tolerant species from southern California

Mediterranean Landscape by Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds

Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds

Planting notes. Not a fussy plant, California wild grape is adaptable to different soils and sun exposure and, once established, is also adaptable to lower water. Give it plenty of space on a wall, fence or arbor next to its planting site.

Tendrils reach, grasp and hold as the vine grows. The vines are easy to direct. During the growing season, move branches where you want them, tying them to the structure if needed. Then just let the tendrils do their work.

More: Browse plants native to your region

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Comments (15)

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Debbie Ballentine

I have a friend who prunes my Rogers Red to keep it in check. There are pruning techniques that encourage growth and others that discourage growth. Knowing which technique to use and when is the challenge for anyone like me who's a pruning-novice.

2 Likes August 9, 2014 at 4:13PM

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Pamela Bateman Garden Design

In winter I prune the grape in my photo by shortening all the vertical growth to two or three buds and let the horizontal branches grow along the top of the fence. When it reaches the end of the fence I prune off any other growth that grows beyond that. Since you are not pruning for grape production you can prune to your desired coverage. Once a year pruning is all that is needed. Sometimes in mid summer if a new branch takes off into the sky to reach another tree - then that branch is pruned off. Pretty simple.

1 Like August 9, 2014 at 6:00PM

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Dongxu Wu

this is exactly what I need right now. I am going to build up a vineyard in west China !

Like August 7, 2015 at 7:09PM

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