Fox grape is a vigorous, woody climbing vine native to eastern North America and the parent of many table and juice grapes, including Concord. It grows best in full sun with good air flow and a strong trellis, and it is hardy and resistant to many mildews and pests.
Family
Vitaceae (Grape family)
Grows as
Climber
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply during dry spells, especially in the first two years, then allow the top of the soil to dry between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained loam; tolerates a range of soils but dislikes waterlogging.
Temperature
Hardy to around -30 °C; grows well in temperate summers, protect young vines from late frosts.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
SE. Canada to E. U.S.A.
Climate
temperate
About
Vitis labrusca, the fox grape, is a species of grapevines belonging to the Vitis genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The vines are native to eastern North America and are the source of many grape cultivars, including Catawba, Concord, Delaware, Isabella, Niagara, and many hybrid grape varieties such as Agawam, Alexander and Onaka. Among the characteristics of this vine species in contrast to the European wine grape Vitis vinifera are its "slip-skin" that allows the skin of the grape berries to easily slip off when squeezed, instead of crushing the pulp, and the presence of tendrils on every node of the cane. Vitis labrusca also tends to have strong resistance to mildews and phylloxera. Another contrast with European V. vinifera are unique flavors, best known to most people through the Concord grape.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Vitis labrusca by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.