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Vitis californica

California wild grape

Vitaceae California and southwestern Oregon

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 7–10

Overview

Vitis californica, California wild grape, is a vigorous deciduous woody vine that climbs by forked tendrils to 20–30 feet (6–9 m) into trees, fences, and banks. The rounded, heart-shaped leaves are 2–6 inches (5–15 cm) wide with shallow lobes and toothed margins; they turn red, orange, and yellow before dropping in fall. In late spring small greenish flowers appear in branched clusters, fragrant but not showy, and ripen by fall into clusters of round purple grapes about 0.3–0.5 inch (8–12 mm) across, each with a waxy bloom. The fruit is edible and tart and is used in jellies, while birds and mammals strip the clusters in autumn. The vine grows from a deep root system that lets it survive long dry summers once established, and it is most common along streams, rivers, and seasonally moist canyons in California and southwestern Oregon. Its rapid, heavy growth can smother small shrubs and needs a sturdy support. The peeling, shreddy bark and old woody trunks add winter structure.

Native Range

Vitis californica is native to California and southwestern Oregon, where it grows along rivers, streams, springs, and moist canyon bottoms from the coast to the Sierra Nevada foothills. It ranges from sea level to about 3,500 feet (1,070 m).

Suggested Uses

Used on arbors, fences, and large trellises, for streambank and slope stabilization, and in wildlife and habitat plantings. It suits naturalized and native gardens with room to spread, though its size and vigor make it less suited to small spaces.

How to Identify

Identified by woody climbing stems with forked tendrils, rounded heart-shaped lobed leaves, and shreddy bark on older wood. Clusters of small round purple grapes with a pale waxy bloom ripen in fall, and the foliage turns red and orange before dropping. The deeply cordate leaf base and California riparian habitat separate it from cultivated grapevines.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height20' - 30'

Width/Spread10' - 15'

Colors

Flower Colors

green

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

red

orange

yellow

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring

Small greenish flowers open in late spring, generally May and June, in branched clusters. The flowers are wind- and insect-pollinated and give way to grapes that ripen from late summer into fall. Fruiting is heaviest on vines in full sun.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Green, turning red and orange in fall

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Fruits in 3-4 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part sun and a wide range of well-drained soils, including loam, clay, and sand, at a pH of about 5.5–7.5. Water needs are low once the deep roots establish, though it grows fastest with some summer moisture. It is hardy in zones 7–10 and tolerates seasonal flooding along streambanks. A strong trellis, arbor, or tree is needed to carry its weight. Annual dormant-season pruning keeps the vine within bounds.

Pruning

Prune in winter while the vine is dormant to remove tangled and dead wood and to limit its spread. Cutting back to a framework of main stems each year controls size and improves fruiting. The vine regrows quickly from old wood after hard pruning.