Sweet wild grape, Birch-leaved grape
Vitis betulifolia
Family: Vitaceae
What it is like
A woody creeper. It loses its leaves during the year. The small branches have a web like mass of white hairs. The leaves are obliquely oval. They are 5-10 cm long by 4-9 cm wide. They taper to the tip and have a shallowly heart shaped base. The flowers are small and yellowish-green. The fruit are round and black. They are 7-12 mm long and sweet.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows wild in deciduous forests between 1,500-2,700 m altitude in central and western China. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Himalayas, Tibet
How it is used for food
The ripe fresh fruit are eaten.
Edible parts
Fruit