Sand Grape
Vitis rupestris
Family: Vitaceae
What it is like
Vitis rupestris is a deciduous Climber growing to 2 m (6ft 7in). It is in flower from May to June, 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): 2
Where it is found
Sandy banks, shores, hills etc.
Southern Central N. America - Pennsylvania to Columbia, Missouri and Texas. Locally natin Europe
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - raw or dried for winter use. Very sweet. A pleasant flavour. The fruit is about 6 - 12mm in diameter and is borne in reasonable sized bunches. Leaves - cooked. Young leaves are wrapped around other foods and then baked, they impart a pleasant flavour. Young tendrils - raw or cooked.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 2
Can be used as a rootstock for V. vinifera in areas where phylloxera is prevalent. A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Rootstock: Plants used as the rootstock for grafting scions onto.
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. Plants climb by means of tendrils. Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely. 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.
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:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist