100 species #98: Concord grape

[urbpan]

These last withered Concord grapes (Vitis labrusca) hang in the corner of the small yard fence.

Concord grapes are a cultivated variety of the native New England fox grape, developed in Concord Massachusetts. They are one of a small handful of conspicuous sweet fruits edible to humans native to our area. Birds and other animals like them very much, and between the blue jays and the gray squirrels, the humans at the house got to eat very few grapes. Wine grapes that are hybridized with or grafted onto fox grapes are resistant to disease and cold.

Apparently the first owners of our house planted many fruit trees and shrubs; we suspect that these grape vines--thick as a baseball bat at the base--are the last remaining fruit plants in the yard from that time.

Wikipedia claims that the name "fox grape" and the "foxy" taste of these grapes has nothing to do with the animal the fox. I tend to disagree. (Whether or not I'm full of it, I think that's one of my better essays. I think you should read it.)


Grapes climb by way of spiraling tendrils. (As opposed to Boston ivy which uses adhesive disks, or poison ivy which uses hair-like aerial roots, or Oriental bittersweet which twines secondary stems around a structure.)

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

That was a *fascinating* essay; thanks for the link. Your argument makes good sense to me.

And I was very interested in your last para, here, too, about all the ways that the vines around here cling. I hadn't really thought about how they're all different. I tried to get a good picture of a really impressive mass of Oriental bittersweet cables the other day, but couldn't. I like this photo of grape "hands" gripping a stem though. (And I like your tendril here.)

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your kind words! That's a beautiful photo of grape hands. I love the way you see magic everywhere. We should hike together some time.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I would love that--I had a great time when Alexis came through to photograph Molly (who's having a tumor removed from her shoulder on Tuesday--think good thoughts!) We used to get out to the eastern part of the state when my grandmother was still alive, not so much now, alas. But if you guys are coming west at some point...