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Vitis girdiana - Munson.

Common Name

Valley Grape

Family

Vitaceae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Canyon bottoms along the sides of streams etc, below 1200 metres[71].

Range

South-western N. America - California, Baja California.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Climber growing to 12 m (39ft 4in).
It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Sep to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves. Fruit - raw or dried for winter use[161, 177, 257]. The fruit is about 4 - 7mm in diameter[200] and is carried in bunches. Young leaves are wrapped around other foods and then baked, they impart a pleasant flavour. Young tendrils - raw or cooked.

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. None known

Other Uses
Dye; Hair. A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves[168]. The sap has been rubbed on falling or thin hair to keep it healthy and make it grow[257].

Cultivation details

Prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam[1, 200]. Grows best in a calcareous soil[200]. Succeeds in sun or partial shade though a warm sunny position is required for the fruit to ripen[200]. Plants climb by means of tendrils[182]. Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely[182, 200]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[K]. Six weeks cold stratification improves the germination rate, and so stored seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is obtained. Germination should take place in the first spring, but sometimes takes another 12 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in early summer. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, December/January in a frame. These cuttings can be of wood 15 - 30cm long or they can be of short sections of the stem about 5cm long with just one bud at the top of the section. In this case a thin, narrow strip of the bark about 3cm long is removed from the bottom half of the side of the stem. This will encourage callusing and the formation of roots. Due to the size of these cuttings they need to be kept in a more protected environment than the longer cuttings. Layering.

Expert comment

Author
Munson.

Botanical References
71200

Links / References

[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[71]Munz. A California Flora.

An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.

[161]Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.

A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[168]Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants.

A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.

An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182]Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.

Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257]Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany

Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
Stephanie	Wed Jan 18 2006

This is our first winter with our Wild Grape plant. I am guessing since it is winter time, this explains why it has stopped growing ad the leaves are turning yellow and falling off ...is this normal for grape plants? Main question is ...do we need to prune our plant at all this winter? I am confused about how to go about pruning a wild grape plant. If we need to do so, can you provide any images/drawings showing the correct way to prune back a wild grape? Thanks, Stallards Long Beach, CA sastallard@verizon.net

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Subject : Vitis girdiana

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