About

A seedless, red dessert grape, producing large bunches of soft-skinned, juicy red fruit with a sweet flavour, ready for eating from the vine. Will ripen outdoors on a warm wall in mild counties from early to mid autumn, but for good cropping grow in a greenhouse in frost prone colder areas. Good autumn leaf colour.

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, Sand, Loam
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5

Plant details

Plant typeFruit Edible
HabitClimbing
FoliageDeciduous
Height2.5-4 metres
Spread1.5-2.5 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage 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 indoors in a greenhouse or conservatory to produce a good crop in cold areas, for detailed advice see indoor 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