Rock grape

Family Vitaceae. A weakly climbing liana up to 2 m tall with reddish-purple shoots. The few tendrils are poorly developed and readily fall off or may be entirely absent.

Leaves rounded, sometimes three-lobed; young leaves pubescent, folding in half along the midrib. Mature leaves are glabrous on both sides, thin, smooth, and glossy.

The plant is dioecious. Flowers from late June to mid-July. Fruits ripen in September. Berries are spherical, 6 - 14 mm in diameter, black-purple or violet, with a thin skin and a pleasant taste. There are no cultivars here; the wild form is cultivated.

Grows well in full sun or partial shade. Prefers fertile, light, non-calcareous soils. Drought-tolerant, does not tolerate waterlogging. Relatively winter-hardy. Young plants are better removed from supports for the winter so they are covered by snow. When overwintered under snow, it practically does not suffer frost damage; in snowless winters it may be slightly affected by frost. On wet soils it is easily affected by root rot. Withstands prolonged droughts. Grafts readily. Roots well from cuttings. Seeds require stratification. Sowing depth 1 - 1.2 cm.

Single and group plantings on lawns, planted alone or combined with other shrubs. The large leaves contrast nicely with conifers. Can be displayed as a rare plant. Berries are small but are used as food like ordinary grapes.