Scientific Name, Family: Vitis riparia Michx., Vitaceae
Common Names: Riverbank Grape
Native or invasive: Native
Deciduous or Evergreen: Deciduous
Image of the tree you are viewing: GPS Longtitude 0.00308 Latitude 0.9034
Condition and age guess of the tree you are viewing: Good and few years old.
Branch Structure: Woody, perennial vines
Typical height and width at maturity: Up to 50 ft long by 3 ft wide
Typical longevity: Well-maintained grapevines can live to be 50 to 100 years old. However, their yield usually starts to decrease after 20–25 years of age.
Soil, water, sunlight preferences: Full sun to light shade; Rich, fertile soils of woodlands, along fences, around homes, and along streams and lakeshores.
Growth habit of roots: Central taproot branches occasionally
Images of trunk bark at early stage and mature stage: Climbs trees, shrubs, or fence rows; will sprawl in open areas; Woody stems branch occasionally; older stems are covered with shaggy bark; Smaller non-woody stems are green or red, and hairless.
Images of mature tree: winter and summer
Image of leaf or leaves on a 12 x 12 inch grid: Leaves are up to 6″ long and 4″ across; margins are coarsely toothed; underside of leaf is slightly hairy, upper surface is smooth.
Image of leaf or leaves in fall colors:
Flower Details: Small greenish-white or greenish-yellow fragrant flowers have 5 tiny petals.
Typical Pollination Mechanism: Wind and insects namely bees and bumblebees.
Images of flowers (one or two images)
Images of fruit: Edible Fruit is a cluster of round, juicy, very sour, dark blue berries that ripen September to October.
Value for wildlife: The fruits of the riverbank grape are enjoyed by birds and small mammals.
Utility for Humans: People often gather the vines of this and other grape species and use them for making wreaths and other crafts. Fruit is used for wine-making.
Traditional uses in Native American Tree Medicine (historical):
Links to related interesting information: audio file link
Homeowner’s Corner: Japanese beetles love grapevine leaves. Spotted wing drosophila is an invasive fruit fly and can do significant damage to fruit. Birds, deer, and racoons can also cause damage to vines and fruit. Watch for powdery mildew, downy mildew, and fruit rots. Can overtake and “smother” the plant it climbs over.
The fruits are edible for human consumption and may be eaten fresh, dried, or made into jellies. It is important to properly identify the plant before ingestion because other similar-looking plants are poisonous. Looks similar to Virginia Creeper, Wild Cucumber, or Boston Ivy.