Vitis acerifolia

Common Names

Maple-Leaf Grape, Bush Grape, Mapleleaf Grape

Summary

Bush Grape, Mapleleaf Grape, is a deciduous climbing vine native to the south-central Great Plains of the United States, ranging from Texas and Colorado north to Kansas and New Mexico. It forms low, dense thickets and often scrambles over rocks, stream bottoms, ravines, and sandy slopes, using tendrils along branchlets. Leaves are cordate, 2.8–4.7 in long and usually shallowly 3-lobed, with cobweb-like hairs on the upper surface and along veins beneath; inflorescences are numerous, fragrant unisexual flowers in a compound thyrse blooming May–July; fruits are black, round berries 0.3–0.5 in in diameter maturing July–August, with strongly colored juice and small, seedy berries.

Growth occurs in open woodlands, ravines, stream bottoms, dunes, and rocky slopes with sun to partial shade and calcareous soils; it is hardy to USDA zones 5–9 and can reach 15–30 ft tall with a 6–10 ft spread, climbing by tendrils. Cultivation prefers deep, moist, well-drained loam, with fruit requiring warmth to ripen and winter pruning to avoid excessive bleeding; propagation is by seeds (cold stratification) or cuttings. Edible uses include fruit eaten raw or dried and young leaves used as wrap and baked, with yellow dye obtainable from leaves; leaf pubescence can deter the glassy-winged sharpshooter, reducing infection risk, though no inherent resistance to Pierce’s disease is noted; the species is drought and phylloxera resistant, easy to root, and valuable for breeding color-rich hybrids such as Vincent.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

30 feet - 32 feet 10 inches

Spread

6-10 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun to Partial Shade (≥6 hours daily)

Soil Type

Deep, rich, moist, well-drained moderately fertile loam

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.0-7.5

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring (May–June)

Foliage Color

Upper surface green or yellowish green; lower surface grayish green.

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Moderate; 1–2 ft per year.

Seasons of Interest

Fall and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds