No vine is more ubiquitous in Southern Ontario than the ones of wild grape climbing on trees and bushes alike.

Wild grapes are easy to find, but hard to distinguish. There are several species of grapes (vitis) that are native to North America as a whole. The common grape Vitis vinifera is known worldwide for its use in winemaking. Their grapes vary in colour and are juicy and sweet when fully ripe. However, the grapes native to here are smaller, more acidic and chock full of seeds.

No matter where you go in the Autumn, you will find these vines loaded with grapes. Take this ridiculously long grape cluster for example. Only one of many growing all over my area. In Ontario, you are most likely to encounter Vitis riparia or riverbank grape. As you can guess, it prefers to grow near a source of water and like all grapes, prefers full sunlight if possible - if not, it will simply climb high enough to get there.

Some grapevines grow 10-20m tall, sometimes to the top of the highest trees. Luckily there's an abundance of grapes at ground level as well. The grapes may not be the tastiest, but they are rich in phenolic compounds like anthocyanins which give its deep red colour. As well, the seeds - though somewhat crunchy, are nutritious and healthy and grape seed extracts are even sold at health food stores and pharmacies in concentrated form.

Next time when you go on a hike this fall, attune your eyes to the deep indigo colour of the wild grapes. Sometimes they can be easy to overlook and other times they stand out and are hard to miss.

Happy hunting!

Special note: Due to their similarity in form and overlapping ranges, please take note of this commonly mistaken plant, Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia which has red stems, is 5-leaved and has bright blue berries. Before you eat foods from the wilderness always consult an expert.

All photos are taken by me and released to the community as CC0 (open source)