Vitis labruscana
At a glance
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −28.9 °C
Cultivation
Prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. Cultivated for its edible fruits, used mainly for making wine, in Eastern N. America. There are many named varieties. Plants climb by means of tendrils. Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.
Propagation
Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[K]. Six weeks cold stratification improves the germination rate, and so stored seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is obtained. Germination should take place in the first spring, but sometimes takes another 12 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in early summer. This is a hybrid species and so seed is unlikely to breed true. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, December/January in a frame. These cuttings can be of wood 15 - 30cm long or they can be of short sections of the stem about 5cm long with just one bud at the top of the section. In this case a thin, narrow strip of the bark about 3cm long is removed from the bottom half of the side of the stem. This will encourage callusing and the formation of roots. Due to the size of these cuttings they need to be kept in a more protected environment than the longer cuttings. Layering.
Edible uses
Fruit - raw or dried for winter use. Young leaves are wrapped around other foods and then baked, they impart a pleasant flavour. Young tendrils - raw or cooked.
Material uses
A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves. Greenish-blue and dark blue dyes can be obtained from the fruit skins of the cultivar 'Concord'.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Native range
A hybrid of garden origin, V. labrusca x V. vinifera.