Sunday, June 16, 2013

Wild Grapes

I was familiar with the variety of grapes that grow wild over fence lines in southern Ontario but I wasn't aware until last year that there are wild grapes growing in Ottawa as well. The wild grapes that grow in Ottawa have smaller berries and looser bunches.

Once I could identify the leaves I was seeing the vines all over the place. Many of the plants do not seem to bear fruit. One such plant drapes itself over a glossy buckthorn growing by a telephone pole at the end of Kimdale.

The above plant doesn't produce any grapes because it is a male. Below is a closeup of its flowers with prominent stamens but lacking developed pistils. It has quite a pleasant scent.

Below is a small beetle I spotted on a grape leaf as I was inspecting the flowers. It turns out it feeds on grape vines so it was right at home.

Grape Flea Beetle (Altica chalybea)

3 comments:

  1. cool - didn't know that there were male and female grape plants! : )

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  2. I just found this in a wooded area behind my house in Ohio. Are the grapes edible? If so, do you think it will produce if I replant it in my yard?

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    Replies
    1. Edible but the seeds take up much of the volume of the small grape. They taste much like concord grapes. There are other varieties of wild grape though. I recall the wild grapes on the fence lines of southern Ontario to be much larger.

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