Vitis vinifera
Wine grape, Wine Grape
(c) Eleftherios Katsillis, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Eleftherios Katsillis · licence
Family: Vitaceae · Type: Shrub · Not Native
Vitis vinifera (Wine grape) is a non-native California shrub in the Vitaceae family, recognized by bisexual flowers, deeply lobed leaves, thick nodal partitions, and adherent fruit skin.
Wine grape is a naturalized shrub found in California's Great Valley and Central Western regions in abandoned fields and roadsides at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces flowers that develop into purple to blue-black fruits more than 8 millimeters wide. Growing with hairy stems that become glabrous with age, it develops nodal partitions 3 to 5 millimeters thick. Its leaves are cordate to kidney-shaped, often with 3 to 5 lobes, generally serrate, and can be glabrous or slightly hairy. The fruit is spheric to ovoid, with a skin that adheres closely to the pulp, making it distinctive for winemaking and cultivation.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinguished by bisexual flowers, deeply lobed leaves, thick nodal partitions, and adherent fruit skin
Habitat and range
Habitat: Abandoned fields, roadsides
Elevation: < 1000 m
Outside California: native to Europe
Bloom period
Vitis vinifera blooms May-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Marah: Vitis has palmately lobed leaves and grape-like fruit clusters; Marah has deeply cut star-shaped leaves and large spiny fruits.; vs Hedera: Vitis has tendrils opposite leaves and lobed leaves with rounded sinuses; Hedera lacks tendrils and has pointed leaf lobes.; vs Ribes: Vitis is a climbing vine with tendrils; Ribes (currant/gooseberry) is an upright shrub without tendrils.; vs Rubus: Vitis has simple palmately lobed leaves; Rubus (blackberry) has compound leaves with separate leaflets and thorny stems.; vs Parthenocissus: Vitis has single leaves with deep lobes; Parthenocissus has separate leaflets radiating from center like fingers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vitis vinifera native to California?
No. Vitis vinifera is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Vitis vinifera bloom?
Vitis vinifera blooms May-Jun.
What plant family does Vitis vinifera belong to?
Vitis vinifera is in the Vitaceae family, genus Vitis.
What habitat does Vitis vinifera grow in?
Vitis vinifera grows in Abandoned fields, roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.