Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor

Native

Minnesota special concern species

Moist. Floodplain forests, wooded swamps, upland woods, riverbanks, thickets, and roadsides. Full sun.

Late spring

Greenish-white or greenish-yellow

6″ to 24″

This is a high-climbing, perennial, woody vine rising from a taproot.

The vine of the current season is reddish-brown and hairy. When they mature they become covered with brown bark. On old growth the bark sheds in long, thin strips. It extends up to 35′.

Tendrils form opposite most leaves but are lacking every third leaf.

The leaves are alternate, 2 ″ to 8″ long, round to egg-shaped, and lobed with a heart-shaped base. They are yellowish-green on the upper side, bluish green to silvery on the underside. They are on long leaf stalks. The lobing pattern is highly variable, even on the same plant, but they are usually divided into 3 to forward-pointing lobes. Leaf margins are sharply toothed. Young leaves are covered with cobwebby, rust-colored on both sides. As they mature the uppersides become hairless or mostly hairless.

Male and female flowers are found in separate inflorescences on the same plant. The inflorescences are borne opposite most leaves but are lacking every third leaf. They are 2″ to 6″ long.

Flowers are inconspicuous, tiny, greenish white or greenish-yellow and fragrant. They have 5 petals.

The fruit is a black or dark purple, ¼″ to ⅜″ thick juicy berry with 2 to 4 seeds. The berry has a whitish, waxy bloom at maturity.

Wild grape (Vitis riparia) leaves are green on the underside.

Canada moonseed (Menispermum canadense) leaves are bluish-green and untoothed. There are no tendrils. The fruits are poisonous, and contain a single, crescent-shaped seed.

Sources: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8.

Wabasha County: 4 miles northwest of Dumphries;
Pope County: 4 miles north of Starbuck.

Beaver Creek Valley State Park

Great River Bluffs State Park