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Season: Tendrils & Leaves: Spring & Early Summer. Grapes: Late Summer.

Urban, Rural or Both: Both

River Bank Grape (Vitis riparia) or other Grapevine species, including cultivated Varieties (Vitis).

The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map of all Grape species in North America here. BONAP map color key here.

Of the Grape vines that are native to Eastern North America, it is often difficult to tell which one you have. From the perspective of the fruit, taste and availability are what should guide you. As long as you have a Grape vine, and it is neither the Mustang Grape (Vitis mustangensis) or the poor tasting Winter Grape (Vitis cinerea), try it and see if you like it.

As I said above, the different Wild Grapes of Eastern North America are hard to tell apart for all but Vitis scholars. Here are some characteristics that should help. On the underside of the leaves of the River Bank Grape, the veins are hairy, but no, or few hairs on the rest of the underside. With the River Bank Grape, the underside of the leaf will not have an obvious white or silver color - that would be the Silverleaf Grape. On the River Bank Grape, on the growing ends of the vine in the spring, often the growing tip will not be visible as there are two small leaves acting like a pair of hands clasping the growing tip - looks like the leaves are protecting the growing tip. On the others, you can see the growing tip. Also, with the River Bank Grape, on the leaves, the side lobe tips tend to point the same direction as the main lobe - that is pointing up, where with the Silverleaf and the Summer Grape, the side lobe tips tend to point out more at an angle. Another difference, but not apparent until you have the leaves side by side or pictures side by side, the sawtooth pattern is deeper and sharper on the margins of the River Bank Grape that either the Silverleaf, the Summer Grape or the Fox Grape. The sawtooth on the Riverbank Grape is thinner and pointy, while with the Muscadine, the sawtooth is triangular - as long as wide at the base.

Tendrils & Leaves:

Grape leaves, especially young ones, are used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Warak Arish is fill rolled in grape leaves and cooked. I have used them to make vegetarian rolls. But what many are not aware of, is that the tendrils, when green and young, make an excellent raw salad ingredient, go great in soups cooked and as a wild raw snacking food while in the woods.

The best tendrils for salads or as snacking food are the young green ones (some varieties they are red-green) that are nearer the growing end of the vines reaching out to grab onto something. Once they have found a branch or surface to cling to, you are too late as they are difficult to unwind and have probably started the process of becoming woody. My favorite grape for using the tendrils is the native River Bank Grape, though the other native ones are fine.

The raw taste is lemony or citrus like. They are tart because they are full of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). When I first tasted a tendril raw, the first thing I thought of was a candy called sweet tarts. When cooked, they impart a flavor very similar to a squeeze of lemon.

The best time of year for gathering is May and June, but as long as they are tender and green and within 12 inches or so of the growing tip of the vine, they are fine in July, but are a little more chewy.

In a salad just use as many as you would like chopped. By the time I've picked a hand full, I'm tired of picking and that's how many I use. I have to confess however, that when I'm picking them for using in salad or cooking, I tend to eat half of them on the spot as I'm picking. They zing up the flavor of the salad and have a nice tender crunch to them without any stringy texture as long as you picked the right ones early enough in the season.

Be sure you don't confuse the Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) for Grape vines. It has a compound leaf with 5 leaflets. At first glance, the compound leaves look similar to Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum leaves. In contrast, the grape is not a compound leaf and really does look maple like.

Another vine that grows wild in the east of north America is the Wild Cucumber vine, also called the Prickly Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata). It has a leaf that is closer in shape to the grape, but it looks a lot like a simple five pointed star with 2 tiny points near the bottom. Unlike the grape, it is an annual and does not form a thick woody trunk like the grape. The grape's bark on the trunk near the ground and further up if the plant is older, has dark reddish bark that hangs off in shreds. Do Not eat the tendrils or leaves from the Virginia Creeper or Wild Cucumber. When in doubt, throw it out! A very simple thing to try to remember is that Grape vine tendrils are come from the vine opposite the leaves, whereas with the Prickly Cucumber, and all members of the Cucurbit family, the tendrils come out 90 degrees from the base of the leaf stems on the same side of the vine.

Yet another vine that can be confused for the Grape Vine is the deadly poisonous Canadian Moonseed (Menispermum canadense). With this one, you don't have to worry about picking tendrils - it doesn't have any. But, with the Canadian Moonseed, the leaves are poisonous, and they have the same general shape as some species of Grape vines, although once you know how to recognize the difference, you won't have any problems in confusing them. The biggest problem with the Canadian Moonseed is the berries can be mistaken for Grapes.

The Fruit - Grapes:

River Bank Grape (Vitis riparia), Fox Grape (Vitis labrusca), Summer Grape (Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis), Silverleaf Grape (Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor) and in the Southern area of the USA, the Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia). Leave the Mustang Grape (Vitis mustangensis) alone, it can cause skin and mouth irritation. It is from the very Southern parts of the USA. Please look it up if you live in that area to make sure that is not what you are picking. Also, don't bother with the poor tasting Winter Grape (Vitis cinerea).

Just in case you don't know - Grapes of any kind are toxic to dogs and cats. Foods containing grapes or raisins should never be fed to cats or dogs - they are toxic to their kidneys.

River Bank Grape (Vitis riparia). Sometimes known as the Frost Grape. Since the River Bank Grape often shows up along streams, rivers and wetlands, be on the lookout for Poison Ivy, Western Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix). Be careful you have the right plant if you are not experienced. Go back to the section above and read about Buckthorn, Virginia Creeper and Canadian Moonseed. Those three have fruit that is poisonous that is about the same size and color as River Bank Grapes. It just amazes me how often I see River Bank Grape vines growing over a Buckthorn bush with the fruit side by side at the same time of year. See the picture below for a River Bank Grape vine growing over a Buckthorn. Also, go to the entry on the River Bank Grape vines here for further information on this plant and its look-alikes.

River Bank grapes are smaller than cultivated grapes, often pea sized, and dark purple or blue looking with a whitish dusty surface called a bloom. To some people, they taste good fresh, to others not so good (too strong and tart). The seed takes up most of the space within the grape - the flesh is sparse. I have to say, this is one of my favourite wild food plants. I absolutely love eating the fresh tendrils, the leaves made into Warak Arish during the spring, and enjoy the tart, fresh, powerful burst of Grape flavor from the fruit. They are so "Grapey" in flavor, you'd think each one was a concentrate of ten normal grapes. Grape jelly or jam made from these is very strong flavored. A thin layer of this on toast is fantastic.

Take one grape at a time off the bunch, and look at it. So many of the grapes are no good, and sometimes there are bugs hiding between the individual grapes. This is a great snack food while you are out walking in the woods or fields. It's a lot of work, but you can make a very distinctive jam out of them by using River Bank Grapes and following any grape jam recipe meant for domestic grapes.

Make sure you don't have a Virginia Creeper, a Canadian Moonseed or Buckthorn.

Also, Grape vines often cover other trees and bushes that also have berries that can look similar. I see this often with River Bank Grapes covering Buckthorn Bushes. Buckthorn berries are about the same size as River Bank Grapes. Just be sure what you are taking is grapes from the vine, and not berries from the bush that the Grape vine is climbing over.

Fruit in bunches that can be mistaken for the Grape in bunches (at least the River Bank Grape) is the poisonous Canadian Moonseed (Menispermum canadense). The fruit of this plant is deadly poisonous, so you must be able to know the difference. The Canadian Moonseed does NOT have tendrils on the vine. The leaves have no "sawtooth" pattern on the edges. The final way you make sure is by checking the seed in the berry or grape. Grape seeds are almost spherical - ball or egg shaped, while the poisonous Canadian Moonseed berry seeds are flat with a chunk missing, giving a "Crescent Moon" shape. That is where the "Moonseed" name comes from. To me, the seed reminds me of an empty pie shell that someone has taken a bite out of. The center area is concave - hollowed out looking like a pie shell. Before eating what you think is a Grape from a bunch on the vine, squish one with your fingers and look at the seed.

Recipe search on the web here (Google search) and here (Bing search).

Growing grapes in your home garden:

For detailed growing instructions, go to my Wild Foods Home Garden website River Bank Grape page.

Descriptions:

River Bank Grape (Vitis riparia):

• Plant Size: Vine that can find its way to the top of the highest trees, go long distances along the forest floor, and get a shaggy trunk that I've personally seen about 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter. (See included picture)
• Duration: Long lived Perennial
• Leaf Shape: Maple leaf like
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate with Opposite tendrils
• Leaf Size: 5-25 cm (2 to 10 inches) long and 5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 inches) wide
• Leaf Margin: Sawtooth, sometimes with shallow lobes, sometimes with very deep lobes.
• Flowers: The panicle shaped Inflorescence (in simple terms - a bunch of flowers that grow like a bunch of grapes) is around 4-15 cm (1 1/2 to 6 inches) long with green tinted white to white flowers in May to June.
• Fruit: The grapes appear in tight bunches. Each grape is 6-15 mm (1/4 to 3/5 inch) blue-black to purple-black with a whitish bloom (like a powdery coating) that rubs off easily. Sour/sweet strong grape taste.
• Bark: Current year's growth - green. Last year's growth - reddish brown to light brown smooth skin. Old bark is greyish with a reddish hue to an auburn red. Old trunks often have linear, shaggy bark coming off in long strips. Occasionally not very shaggy, but scaly with long lines that can appear to wind around the trunk. There is a soft, cloth like quality to the feel of the shaggy bark, not a hard woody feel.
• Habitat: In open areas of woods where trees have fallen, along creeks and river banks, on fences in fields, over bushes and trees in fields, or just matting the ground in fields. Likes rich, moist soil, but seems tolerant of many conditions. Full sun or partial shade.

• Recipe search on the web here (Google search) and here (Bing search).
• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Fox grape (Vitis labrusca). This native Eastern North American grape is the source for many varieties, most notably the Concord Grape. It is also used as one of the species for a few hybrids. The Fox part of the name comes from the musky smell that comes from this plant and its fruit. This plant, or its derivatives, have a tendril or flower/fruit stem on each and every node. This grape is easily identified by what is known as a "slip-skin" characteristic. That is, the skin of the ripe grape comes off from the flesh of the grape very easily. Underside of leaf has short white hairs, and longer brown hairs.

The leaves of this grape can be shaped remarkably similar to the Canadian Moonseed. However, there are two very important distinctions. One, the fruit of this grape vine are larger than the fruit of the Canadian Moonseed. But the key characteristic that you need to check is that this grape has a tendril or flower/fruit stem coming from each node on the vine. The Canadian Moonseed does not grow tendrils - it climbs by "twining", that is, wrapping around. Also, as stated above, always check the seed in any wild grape to make sure it is not a Canadian Moonseed.

• Plant Size: Up to 12 meters (40 feet) long climbing vine
• Duration: Perennial vine
• Leaf Shape: Almost round with point on each of the three broad lobes
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate
• Leaf Size: Up to 20 cm (8 inches) long, almost as wide as long
• Leaf Margin: Fine, shallow Serrated (saw toothed edge)
• Leaf Notes: Underside of leaf has short white hairs and longer brown hairs, at leaf node on vine there is an opposite tendril or flower/fruit stem. Young leaf stems have brown hairs
• Flowers: 5 petalled green/yellow small flowers on a panicle that is (3 to 6 inches) long that blooms in late spring to early summer. There is a distinctive musky smell from the flowers.
• Fruit: 12-20 mm (1/2 to 3/4 inch) diameter, blue-black, occasionally an amber tone. flavor varies, but is overall good with the characteristic musky quality that the name Fox Grape comes from. Ripe late summer to early fall.
• Bark: Bark is brown & shredded on mature main trunk, older woody stems are light brown to reddish brown and smooth, occasionally with fine grooves
• Habitat: Full sun, will tolerate some shade, damp sandy soil preferred. Tolerant of a range of conditions

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia). This one does not grow where I live, so the information I give is not based on experience, but I've included it so if you live where it grows, you have some information as a starting point. I hope to get to try these some day, they sound fantastic.

• Plant Size: Vine up to 30 meters (100 feet) long
• Duration: Long lived Perennial vine
• Leaf Shape: Basically round, looks like a round Poplar leaf like with very shallow lobes.
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch:
• Leaf Size: 6.5-12.5 cm (2 1/2 to 5 inches) across and long
• Leaf Margin: Course, obvious Serrated (saw toothed edge) similar to a Poplar tree leaf
• Leaf Notes: Dark green on upper side of leaf, yellow-green on lower side
• Tendril Note: Tendril does not fork like most Grapes
• Flowers: Small, green flowers in dense panicles
• Fruit: Dark purple, black, green, pink-red or bronze colored fruit. Thick skin on fruit. Large size for a Grape - 2.5-3.8 cm (1 to 1 1/2 inches) diameter
• Bark: Bark does not go into shreds on mature trunks like most Grape species
• Habitat: Well drained, sandy loam in low lying areas. Likes heat, does not survive very cold conditions.

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Summer Grape (Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis). This Grape vine is also used to hybrid with other species for commercial Grape production. The fruit of this vine has a lower acid level compared to other native Grapes.

• Plant Size: Up to 15 meters (50 feet) long climbing vine
• Duration: Perennial vine
• Leaf Shape: Variable, overall a simple, maple-leaf like leaf with almost no lobes to very deep lobes bordering on making it a compound leaf. It is the lower leaves on the vine that have the deeper lobes.
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate
• Leaf Size: Up to 20 cm (8 inches) long, either the same width as length or slightly wider
• Leaf Margin: Serrated (saw toothed edge) but generally smaller and shallower than with the River Bank Grape
• Notes: On two out of three nodes, there is either an opposite tendril or stem with flowers or fruit. Lower leaf surface is light green with white and brown hairs, and has a woolly appearance. Sometimes the top of the leaf has some hairs.
• Flowers: Five petalled, green-yellow small flowers on panicles 5-13 cm (2 to 5 inches) long, sweet smelling, not musky like the Fox Grape
• Fruit: Can be sweet or tart, dark blue to almost black colored, (1/4 to 1/2 inch) diameter, ripe in late summer to early fall, juicy, with 2-4 seeds.
• Bark: Brown to grey bark, in long shreds on mature trunks, branches are smoother, young branch vines are light green to yellowish green to green with a red tone. Very young growth has white hairs.
• Habitat: Likes full sun, tends to occur in disturbed areas, openings in woods, lowland without standing water, power line clearings, edges of fields and woods, fence lines.

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.

Silverleaf Grape (Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor). Sometimes also called the Summer Grape, but that is confusing, as the Summer Grape listed above does not occur in Ontario where I live, but the Silverleaf does. At one time they were separated distinctly, with the Summer Grape called the Vitis aestivalis, and the Silverleaf called the Vitis bicolor. The leaf undersides are completely different on these two. The Silverleaf leaf has no hair on the leaf underside, while the Summer Grape has a hairy leaf underside. The Silverleaf is also silver on the underside (Just like the Silver Maple leaf is silver on the underside) where the Summer Grape leaf underside is green.

• Plant Size: Up to 15 meters (50 feet) long climbing vine
• Duration: Perennial vine
• Leaf Shape: Variable, overall a simple, maple-leaf like leaf with almost no lobes to very deep lobes
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate
• Leaf Size: Up to 20 cm (8 inches) long, either the same width as length or slightly wider
• Leaf Margin: Serrated (saw toothed edge) but generally smaller and shallower than with the River Bank Grape
• Notes: Underside is hairless and a distinct silver or white, or white-green while the top side is dark green, On two out of three nodes, there is either an opposite tendril or stem with flowers or fruit.
• Flowers: Five petalled, green-yellow small flowers on panicles 5-13 cm (2 to 5 inches) long, sweet smelling, not musky like the Fox Grape
• Fruit: 7-9 mm (approx. 1/3 inch) diameter, can be sweet to sour (tart), 1-4 seeds per grape
• Bark: Brown to grey bark, in long shreds on mature trunks, branches are smoother, young branch vines are light green to yellowish green to green with a red tone. Very young growth is smooth or has a few white hairs.
• Habitat: Occurs in similar range to the Summer Grape, but goes further north and does appear in Southern Ontario unlike the Summer Grape. Likes full sun, tends to occur in disturbed areas, openings in woods, lowland without standing water, power line clearings, edges of fields and woods, fence lines.

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.

This information is on the Poisonous plants page, but I wanted to also put it here with the grapes as these plants can be mistaken for grapes, and all three are poisonous.

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)- POISONOUS:

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Prickly Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata)- POISONOUS:

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Canadian Moonseed (Menispermum canadense)- POISONOUS:

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Compare the drawings of the Grape, Bur Cucumber and Canadian Moonseed. I've drawn them to highlight the differences in their leaves.

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