Vitis californica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vitis californica |
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| Vitis californica | |
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Vitis
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californica
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Vitis californica, also known as the California wild grape, Northern California grape, or Pacific grape, is a type of wild grape. You can find it growing across most of California and in southwestern Oregon. This plant loves to grow near streams and rivers where it's damp. However, like many plants from California, it can also survive when conditions are dry.
What is the California Wild Grape Like?
The California wild grape is a deciduous vine. This means its leaves fall off in autumn. The vine can grow very long, over 10 meters (about 33 feet)! It climbs on other plants or spreads across the ground. Its stems are like twisted, woody ropes covered with green leaves. In the fall, these leaves change to beautiful shades of orange and yellow.
In autumn, you'll see bunches of small, purple grapes hanging from the vines. These grapes are often sour but you can eat them. People sometimes use them to make wine or jelly. The grapes are also a key food source for many wild animals, especially birds. The thick leaves of the vine offer great hiding spots. You can often spot these grapes along the banks of the Sacramento River.
How is the California Wild Grape Used?
The California wild grape is a very strong plant. Because of this, people who grow grapes for wine (called viticulturists) often use it. They use it as a rootstock for their regular wine grapes. This means they grow the wine grape plant on the roots of the California wild grape. This helps the wine grape plant be stronger and healthier.
Growing Wild Grapes in Gardens
Vitis californica is also grown as an ornamental plant. This means people plant it because it looks nice. The leaves have interesting shapes and colors. The vines are lush and can be trained to grow where you want them. This makes it a popular plant for gardens, especially those that focus on native plants. Once it's settled in, it doesn't need extra water in the summer.
There are special types of this plant called 'cultivars'. One is 'Roger's Red', named after a plant expert named Roger Raiche. Its leaves turn a bright red in the fall. It's a mix between the wild grape and a wine grape called Vitis vinifera Alicante Bouschet. Another cultivar, 'Walker Ridge', turns yellow in the autumn.
