Silverleaf Grape
Vitis aestivalis var. argentifolia
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*This is the range map for summer grape (Vitis aestivalis), not silverleaf grape. Silverleaf grape grows further north and inland than summer grape.
Silverleaf grape grows from New Hampshire west to southern Minnesota, south to Kansas, and east to Virginia. It's fairly rare in its uppermost northern range. Silverleaf grape can grow in partial shade, but will not produce fruit unless in full sun. It's tolerant of soil moisture.
Fruit: A 1/4-1/2", bluish-black berry. They are available from mid-August to mid-March.
Flowers: A small, yellowish-green flower arranged on 2-5" long panicles. They are available from May to June.
Uses: The fruit is edible and can be made into wine. They are sometimes cultivated for this purpose. The leaves, tendrils, and sap can also be consumed in a variety of different ways.
Ethnobotany: Silverleaf grape has been used in the past for food and for medicinal purposes.
Importance to wildlife: More than 80 bird and small mammal species eat the fruit. White-tailed deer browse the foliage. Birds used the shredding bark to build nests.
A single leaf on a silverleaf grape. Leaves are 8-20 cm long and wide, shallowly or deeply lobed, and coarsely toothed. Grape leaves tend to be highly variable.
The underside of a silverleaf grape. Though summer grape (Vitis aestivalis) has a rusty-hairy underside that's pale green but not strongly whitened, silverleaf grape (Vitis aestivalis var. argentifolia) has a strongly whitened and sometimes hairless underside.
A tendril on a silverleaf grape. Grapevines are climbing vines which use tendrils to cling on to other plants. Tendrils form opposite from a leaf or leaf scar.
A bud on a silverleaf grape. Grapevines have no terminal buds.
The stem of a silverleaf grape. Especially when young, stems are often bluish glaucous.
Older silverleaf grape stems. Older stems usually have loose and shreddy bark.
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