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Common Name: California Grape

General Information

Vitis californica is a Deciduous Climber up to 9.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - Oregon to California.

Habitat

Stream banks and canyons below 1200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	9.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam[, ]. Grows best in a calcareous soil[]. Succeeds in sun or partial shade though a warm sunny position is required for the fruit to ripen[].
The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts.
Plants climb by means of tendrils[].
Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely[, ].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for winter use[, , , ]. It can also be made into jellies, pies etc[]. The fruit is quite juicy but is very small. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[], but it has a thin flesh and is of little value even in America for its fruit[, ].
Young leaves are wrapped around other foods and then baked, they impart a pleasant flavour.
Young tendrils - raw or cooked. A pleasantly sour snack when eaten raw[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves[].
The roots have been used as a basketry material for basket bottoms[]. Woody parts of the vines have been used for the rims of large cone-shaped carrying baskets[].
Smaller vines have been twisted to make a strong rope[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[]. Six weeks cold stratification improves the germination rate, and so stored seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is obtained. Germination should take place in the first spring, but sometimes takes another 12 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in early summer.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, December/January in a frame. These cuttings can be of wood 15 - 30cm long or they can be of short sections of the stem about 5cm long with just one bud at the top of the section. In this case a thin, narrow strip of the bark about 3cm long is removed from the bottom half of the side of the stem. This will encourage callusing and the formation of roots. Due to the size of these cuttings they need to be kept in a more protected environment than the longer cuttings.
Layering.