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.
cool - didn't know that there were male and female grape plants! : )
ReplyDeleteI 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?
ReplyDeleteEdible 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.
Delete