Wine Grape Vitis vinifera

The common grape is a member of the Vitaceae (grape) family native to Europe and Central Asia and is the kind of grape you are most likely to find in grocery stores.  It can be found growing along riverside and damp woods.  The leaves are superficially similar to fig (Ficus carica) but can be distinguished based on the plant form and presence of tendrils.

The flowers, leaves and fruit can be eaten.  A fully ripened fruit is delicious, being both sweet and juicy.  It can be concentrated and used as a sweetener.  An oil similar to sunflower oil is made from the seeds.  Sap from can be harvested in the spring and early summer and consumed as a drink.  Caution should be used though, as removing too much of the sap can weaken the plant.  The clusters of flowers can be used as a vegetable, the leaves are often used as a wrap, cooked then served. 

The plant should be grown in a location where it is protected from winter winds and frost.  A healthy plants needs good circulation.  To get the most out of this plant, support and training for the climbing structure should be provided.  A regular spraying and pruning routine should be followed.  The hot and humid summers of the southern states and the frigid cold in the midwest don't make this a good plant choice for the best fruit production.

Wines are also made from the fruits, as well as being dried as raisins or currants.  

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  This plant is particularly susceptible to radicole grape phylloxera.  This disease disrupt water and nutrient intake which results in loss of leaf surface area, yield reduction and total demise of the plant over a period of 4 to 7 years.  Other diseases include gray mold, crown gall, botrytis bunch rot, black rot, downy mildew and powdery mildew.  Insect problems can include mealybugs, flea beetles, leaf hopper, leaf roller, Japanese beetle, and grape berry moth.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.