Vitis cinerea (Engelm.) Millardet

Pigeon Grape; Downy Grape

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Pigeon Grape is a native perennial woody vine in the Grape family (Vitaceae). It can be found throughout most of Alabama. Pigeon Grape occurs in hardwood floodplain forests, in lowland woods, on stream and river banks, and in swamps. It is a woody vine up to 40 feet in length, climbing by tendrils. The tendrils are branched. The bark is reddish gray and exfoliates in strips. Young branches are green in color, slightly angled, and sparsely to densely arachnoid. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, deciduous, cordate to 3-lobed in outline, with toothed margins. The leaves are sparsely to densely cobwebby pubescent below and glabrous to pubescent above. Flowers are produced in a thyrsi opposite a leaf. The flowers are functionally unisexual and yellowish green in color. Each flower has a calyx reduced to a small rim and 5 small petals. The fruit is a black berry with 1-4 seed. Pigeon Grape fruit are consumed by a wide variety of birds and small mammals. The fruit are edible but usually sour. However, they can be made into an excellent jelly.--A. Diamond

**

Native

**