Welcome to Catnapin's

Vine Gallery

Grape Vines

Vitaceae (Vitidaceae) - Grapevine family

Ivy Treebine (Sorrel Vine, Cow-itch, Possum Grape) Cissus trifoliata (C. incisa)

Vine up to 40 feet long.  It is an evergreen in warmer regions.  The leaves are thick and leathery, up to 3" long, unpleasant odor when crushed.  Leaf shape is variable: deeply notched, almost to completely three parts; edges can be wavy or toothed.  Tendrils are thick and long like a grape.  No thorns.  Stems are green ageing to red-brown, woody trunk in old plants.  Tiny flowers are less than 1/8" wide in small clusters along a panicle 3"-4" long.  Shinny berries are green then black, round to ovoid, 3/8" wide.  This plants fruit is not edible.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July & September 2004

(Native of Texas)

Vitaceae (Vitidaceae) - Grapevine family

Muscadine Grape (Scuppernong Grape, Bullace Grape, Southern Fox Grape) Vitis rotundifolia

Male and female flowers on different plants.  Dense panicles of small green flowers.  Fruit grows in loose clusters of up to 40 berries, 1"-1 1/2" wide, tough skin, 5 seeds.  Fruit color varies: green, bronze, pinkish-red, purple, black.  Leaves 2"-5" wide, coarsely serrated, pointed, turn yellow in fall.  Sub-genus Muscadinia - not the same as other grapes, and they do not hybridize.  The bark is non-shedding, has shoots, and unbranched tendrils.  Woody vine can grow to 100 feet long and be 6" wide.  It likes warm humid areas, not cold tolerant below 10°F.

In the vine photo the thick vine is the grape, 1" wide.

Photos taken in Van Zandt County and Smith County, Texas, November 2006

(Native of Texas)

Similar Species

Sand Grape Vitis rupestris
(Native of Texas - Taylor)

Vitaceae (Vitidaceae) - Grapevine family

Virginia Creeper (Woodbine) Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Vine will cover trees.  Plant looks like Poison Ivy, but leaves have 5 segments not 3.  It has reddish leaves in the spring and drops its leaves in the winter.  No thorns and tiny tendrils are not very tight.  Woody climbing vine has branched tendril with adhesive disks.  Parasitic plant gets nourishment from host.

Leaf photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2004

Vine photo taken in Van Zandt County, Texas, November 2006

(Native of Texas)

Vitaceae (Vitidaceae) - Grapevine family

Peppervine (Buckvine) Ampelopsis arborea

Tiny greenish flowers grow in loose clusters, bracts open up to a 5 pointed star.  Blooms spring through summer.  Small clusters of berries change from green to white to red to blue/black.  New flowers bloom while first fruit ripens.  Shiny leaves can be bi-pinnate or tri-pinnate.  Young leaves are reddish and the tip of the stems will have curled tendrils.  Because of the few tendrils this climbing vine tends to form dense mats of interlaced branches.  Will re-grow soon after a fire.  Can become a pest.

Flower & fruit photos taken by Sonnia Hill in Van Zandt County, Texas, July 2002

Photos taken in Van Zandt County, Texas, November 2006

(Native of Texas)

see similar   Skunkbush Sumac,   Fragrant Sumac

Email    wildflowers"at"catnapin.com

to reduce spam, change "at" to @

please be specific