About
Vigorous, disease-resistant, cold-tolerant grape vine with large rich green leaves, producing a dense canopy needing thinning to promote ripening. Profuse small bunches of blue-black grapes ripen in late summer and produce good yields of sweet blackcurrant and raspberry-flavoured grapes that can be eaten straight from the vine or used for wine-making.
About the genus
Vitis are vigorous deciduous climbing shrubs with tendrils and attractively lobed leaves, insignificant green flowers followed by often edible fruits; some have excellent autumn foliage colour
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectWest-facing, South-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible
HabitClimbing
FoliageDeciduous
Height8-12 metres
Spread2.5-4 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Mediterranean climate plants
ToxicityPets (dogs): Harmful if eaten whether fruits are edible or ornamental - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Care notes
CultivationGrow in full sun, in well-drained, humus-rich soil, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline, mulch to keep soil moist, and provide support; for more advice, see outdoor grape cultivation
PruningPruning is required to encourage flowering and fruiting, and to increase air circulation and so reduce the risk of disease: see grape pruning and training
PropagationPropagate by hardwood cuttings in late autumn or winter, or by softwood cuttings or semi-ripe cuttings from late spring to midsummer or grafting onto Phylloxera resistant rootstocks
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to grapevine blister mite, glasshouse red spider mite, brown scale, woolly vine scale and spotted wing drosophila (fruit fly) and may be susceptible to mealybugs under glass
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to Powdery mildews, grey moulds, honey fungus and virus diseases. For further advice see grapevine diseases