Southeast grape facts for kids

The Vitis chunganensis, also known as the Southeast grape, is a special kind of climbing vine. It belongs to the grape family, just like the grapes we eat! This plant is originally from China. You can find it in many provinces there, including Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang. In Chinese, people call it dong nan pu tao.

Where the Southeast Grape Lives

This amazing climbing plant loves to grow in certain places. You can find it in forests and shrublands. It also likes hillsides and valleys. It especially enjoys areas where small streams flow. The Southeast grape grows at heights between 500 and 1400 meters above sea level. That's pretty high up!

Life Cycle of the Grape

The Southeast grape has a yearly cycle of growth and fruit.

• Flowers: Its flowers usually appear in the spring, from April to June.
• Berries: After the flowers, the plant grows small, round berries. These berries are a very dark purple color. They are about 1 centimeter wide. You can see these berries from June through August.

Special Uses of the Southeast Grape

For a long time, people have used the Southeast grape in folk medicine. They believed it could help with certain health problems. For example, it was used to help with some kinds of infections and to treat physical injuries.

This plant contains a special natural compound called chunganenol. This compound is a type of resveratrol hexamer. Scientists are still learning about all the different ways plants like the Southeast grape can be helpful.