Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Vine

General: Woody vine, sprawling or weakly climbing; stems generally 2-6 m long; the young twigs densely woolly, but losing this over time and the bark becoming shreddy.

Leaves: Winter deciduous; broadly cordate, 3-10 cm long and about as wide, irregularly toothed and sometimes shallowly 3-lobed, more-or-less cottony hairy; petiole 1-3 cm long; tendrils opposite the leaves, bifurcate, lacking adhesive discs, withering quickly if not attached to something.

Flowers: Inflorescence a loose, open, strongly branched panicle, 2-10 cm long, emerging opposite the leaves; flowers tiny with five, white petals.

Fruits: Edible (but sometimes bitter) grapes, 8-10 mm thick, black.

Ecology: Found in canyons and along streams from 2,000-7,500 ft (610-2286 m); flowers April-July.

Distribution: NV, AZ, NM, s UT, s TX; south to n MEX.

Notes: This native grape is abundant in mid-elevation riparian areas of the Southwest. It looks like no other native plant, with its vining woody stems; characteristic grape leaves with irregularly toothed margins and tendrils opposite; and inflorescences opposite of the leaves bearing clusters of dark purple to black grapes. It is more common to find the grapes when still light green, as the birds get them quickly once they mature to black.

Ethnobotany: Berries are edible fresh, dried like raisins, or made into juice, preserves, or even wine. Leaves can be salted and soaked and used similarly like domesticated grape leaves. Navajo use in courtship gifts; Havasupai use to make toys/games; other tribes have uses as well.

Etymology: Vitis is Latin for vine, while arizonica means of or from Arizona.

Synonyms: Vitis arizonica var. galvinii, V. arizonica var. glabra, V. treleasei

Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2015, AHazelton 2015