A wild grape called frost grape

By Aaron Horrell

There are about seven different kinds of native wild grapevines in Missouri. My photo shows the early stage of clusters of fruits growing on the vine.

The grapes this wild grapevine will produce will be much smaller than cultivated vinyard grapes and generally are produced high in tall trees.

Frost in September or October will aid in the ripening of these grapes that will soon-after turn to small raisins on the vine. Many of the clusters of little shriveled raisins will cling on the vine into winter and become a valuable food source for our wintering songbirds.

These wild grapes are edible when they ripen to a dark blue/purple, but they are not easy to harvest and turn quickly to small hard raisins.