Summer Grape, Pigeon Grape

This grape grows wild here in Missouri, and throughout the eastern United States from Florida to Wisconsin. The zones listed above are n...Read Moreot really correct, I am sure it is hardy to zone 5 and maybe 4. It blooms and fruits earlier than the very similar winter grape (V.cinerea) which is also native here. The fruit on the winter grapes is not usable until after a frost in late autumn. One way to distinguish the plants is to look for lobed leaves...the summer grape will have some, and the winter grape will not.
I am giving the plant a neutral rating because it has both good and bad characteristics. The fruit is delicious and makes excellent jelly and wine. However, it is hard to collect, often being 15 to 30 feet up. Good news for the wildlife, if I can't reach it. I used to put a leaf in my pickles as a substitute for alum...but I can't say it really kept them crisp. The vines can be made into wreaths, of course. On the down side, the vines can become rampant and overtake the forest, and are very difficult to eradicate. They make a LOT of shade and can kill trees that way. They would be great trained on an arbor and kept watered. They are not dependable crop producers most years due to droughts, but this year we had a good amount of moisture and they set a heavy crop.