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Wild Grape

Vitis spp.

Vitaceae (Grape Family)

 

▲▼ vines on fence

▲ seedling

▲ vines spreading in grassy area

▲▼stems and leaves, with tendrils

Wild Grape:  (Not in Weeds of the Great Plains; pp. 352-353, Weeds of the Northeast)

·         woody, simple perennial vine that climbs by use of tendrils

·         develops large, woody/tuberous root system that can be difficult to kill, even with systemic herbicides

·         climbs over fences, shrubs, trees, shading and sometimes killing covered plants

·         two main “weedy” genera here:

·         racoon grape, possum grape, false grape (Ampelopsis spp.):

o   has ovate to heart-shaped leaves with serrated margins

o   leaves are light green and glossy (not hairy)

o   fruit is white to bluish white and purple

·         river grape, fox grape (Vitis spp.):

o   has palmately lobed leaves

o   leaves light-green to gray-green and somewhat hairy, at least on veins on underside

o   can develop large trunk with stringy, peeling brown bark

o   more closely related to commercial grapes  

 

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