Poisonous or just grapes - Ask Extension
Hello,
I am contacting you in the hopes you would be able to help me identify if the fruit growing in my yard are wine grapes or if they are a poison...
Knowledgebase
Poisonous or just grapes #605401
Asked November 04, 2019, 3:29 PM EST
Hello,
I am contacting you in the hopes you would be able to help me identify if the fruit growing in my yard are wine grapes or if they are a poisonous plant. I have added pictures, unfortunately I have no good pictures of the leaves, only what I caught when I took a picture of the thing growing on the vine (only one I could find on entire plant, it isn't there anymore, slowly died (picture #2) couldn't find anything online about it). I know the plants have tendrils, woody stems with brown insides, twisty trunk, peeling bark on the trunk, and 4 seeds in each fruit. The skins are thick, started out green, and turned to purple with ripening. The insides are a very dark red-purple with lots of juice. I tried a literal drop of the juice and it tasted really tart with only a touch of sweetness.
Rice County Minnesota
Expert Response
I am sorry but I am unable to positively identify the fruit. Next spring, please send us more pictures of the plant when the leaves are still attached. We need a closeup picture of the leaves. It is unwise to eat any fruit unless it can be identified. https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-grapes-home-garden
I agree that further examination of the leaves next year would be helpful. The "thing" growing on the vine in picture number 2 is an insect-induced gall called the Grape Filbert Gall. It is caused by the gall midge Schizomyia coryloides. Somewhat of a rarely seen pest of grapes, strongly suggesting that the plant is indeed a species of grape.
Okay, here are the leaves with some young fruits. I hope this helps identify if these are grapes. I'd love to make jam this fall, I just don't want to poison myself! Thank you all for the help!! I don't know what else I would have done other than just get rid of the plant
Yes, definitely a specie of grape. If totally wild, it could be Vitus rupestris, or V. riparia. It could also be an "escape" from cultivated grapes, and if so, it would be more closely related to the American/European hybrids (they often have V. riparia and or V. rupestris as part of their breeding parentage).
No matter how well this plant grows, no matter how long you let the fruit ripen before harvest, it might still not be sweet. That's how most wild grapes are.
No matter how well this plant grows, no matter how long you let the fruit ripen before harvest, it might still not be sweet. That's how most wild grapes are.
