Common Name : Concord grape or Fox grape
Scientific Name : Vitis labrusca ‘Concord’
Zone : 5 to 8
Height : 15 to 20 feet
Width : 15 to 20 feet
Culture :
Best grown in deep, loamy, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, including average garden soils, but must have good drainage. Best sited in a location sheltered from winter winds (preferably a southern facing slope) and well removed from frost pockets. Self-pollinating. Grapes need a support system, training, regular spraying and regular pruning to maximize fruit production.
Description :
‘Concord’ is a V. labrusca hybrid that was developed in Concord, Massachusetts and introduced into commerce in 1843. It is one of the oldest cultivated American grape varieties still commonly grown. It is considered to be a good grape for juices, jams, jellies and wine. This is a woody, deciduous, tendril-climbing vine. Panicles of fragrant, greenish flowers in spring are followed by clusters of blue-black, seeded grapes that ripen in late mid-season (late September in St. Louis). Large, shallowly-three-lobed, green foliage. Flowers are attractive to bees. Ripe fruit is attractive to some hornets and wasps.
Problem :
Grapes are high maintenance plants that require regular chemical spraying and pruning. Grapes are susceptible to a large number of diseases, particularly in humid summer climates such as Missouri, including anthracnose, black rot, downy and powdery mildew, crown gall and botrytis bunch rot. Insect pests include phylloxera, grape berry moth, Japanese beetle, leaf hopper, leaf roller, mealy bugs and flea beetles.
Garden Uses:
Grapes are primarily grown for fruit production in home fruit gardens where ornamental value is not a concern. However, grapes do in fact have good ornamental value: bold summer foliage, some fall color, showy fruit and shaggy, twisted trunking and branching often best seen in winter. When grown on fences, walls, trellises, arbors or other structures, grapes can be quite attractive year-round and can provide good cover, screening, or shade to areas around the home.