Northern Fox Grape, Fox grape
Vitis labrusca
Family: Vitaceae
What it is like
Vitis labrusca is a deciduous Climber growing to 15 m (49ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 15
Where it is found
Wet or dry thickets and woodland borders.
Eastern N. America - Maine to S. Carolina and Tennessee. Locally naturalized in Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - raw or dried for winter use. The fruit can also be made into pies, preserves etc. A distinctive musky aroma and taste that is not acceptable to many people. The fruit is best after a frost. Sweetish, it contains 6.6 - 16.6% sugars. The fruit is up to 2cm in diameter and is produced in fairly large bunches. Young leaves - cooked. A pleasant acid flavour, they are cooked as greens or can be wrapped around other foods and then baked, when they impart a pleasant flavour. Young tendrils - raw or cooked. Sap. Best harvested in the spring or early summer, it has a sweet flavour and makes a pleasant drink. The sap should not be harvested in quantity or it will weaken the plant. An oil is obtained from the seed. This would only really be a viable crop if large quantities of grapes were being grown for wine.
Oil: Oil
Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The leaves are hepatic. An infusion has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea, hepatitis, stomach aches, fevers, headaches and thrush. Externally, the leaves are poulticed and applied to sore breasts, rheumatic joints and headaches. The wilted leaves have been applied as a poultice to the breasts to draw away soreness after the birth of a child. An infusion of the bark has been used to treat urinary complaints.
Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).
Other
Rating: 2
A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves. The plant is used as a rootstock for the common grape, V. vinifera, especially in areas where phylloxera disease is prevalent.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
Rootstock: Plants used as the rootstock for grafting scions onto.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam. Grows best in a calcareous soil. Succeeds in sun or partial shade though a warm sunny position is required for the fruit to ripen. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. Plants climb by means of tendrils, they grow particularly well into elm trees. The flowers have the sweet scent of mignonette. Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely. Cultivated for its edible fruit in N. America, where it can produce yields of up to 17 tonnes per hectare. It is the parent of several named varieties. However, it is of no value as a fruit bearer in Britain, requiring hotter summers than are usually experienced in this country in order to ripen its fruit. Another report says that this species is of interest for its hardiness and its ability to produce crops in cooler climates. Resistant to Phylloxera disease, a disease that almost destroyed the European grape crops. This species can be used as a rootstock in areas where the disease is prevalent and can also be used in breeding programmes with V. vinifera in order to impart resistance to that species. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. Woody. Growth habit is a single or multiple shooting vine from a crown.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Climber
Hardiness: 4-9
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist