Fruit Seeds of Southern Michigan: Vitis spp. -- Grapes

Native

Vitis riparia [8]

[1] Vitis riparia -- Riverbank Grape (most common species in Michigan)

[1] Vitis aestivalis -- Summer Grape, Pigeon Grape

[1] Vitis vulpina -- Frost Grape, Winter Grape

[4] Vitis riparia -- Riverbank Grape

Vitis aestivalis -- Summer Grape, Pigeon Grape
[Mary Keim, Flickr, under a Creative Commons license]

[1] Vitis vulpina -- Frost Grape, Winter Grape

Notes:
Numerous grape species are used by birds and other wildlife. The three species shown above are the Michigan natives (see this key to the species at Michigan Flora online), and found over most of eastern North America. Female plants produce fruit, and usually the vines need to reach a sunny position before flowering and fruiting.

See identification tips and distinguishing Vitis from Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Porcelain Berry) in Mistaken Identity? Invasive Plants and their Native Look-alikes: an Identification Guide for the Mid-Atlantic (PDF) by the New York Botanical Garden.

Seeds are very similar, and grape seeds have been found to be present in fecal samples in birds at the Rouge River Bird Observatory, Dearborn, MI. The seeds are also very similar to those of related Parthenocissus species; see this page for information on how to distinguish the seeds of these genera.

Mean fruit diameter: 8.40 mm (n=239); mean number of seeds per fruit: 2.02 (n=200), based on samples collected at the Rouge River Bird Observatory, Dearborn, MI.

References:

Species profiles at USDA Plants Database: V. riparia, V. vulpina, V. aestivalis
Michigan Flora online species profiles: V. riparia, V. vulpina, V. aestivalis
University of Wisconsin-Steven Point Robert. W. Freckmann herbarium species profiles: V. riparia, V. aestivalis
Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina species profile of Vitis vulpina
Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Illinois species profiles: V. riparia, V. aestivalis and subspecies V. a. bicolor

(Numbers in photo captions are photo credits, listed in the "Photo Credits" tab at the top of the page)

About

This is a reference guide to fleshy, bird-dispersed fruits, especially identification of seeds. It will focus on fall- and summer-fruiting plant species found in southern Michigan, but since many of these species are widespread in North America, it will be useful for a broader region. Both native and non-native species are covered.

This website was a project of the former Rouge River Bird Observatory; part of RRBO's research was examining the fall diet of birds at an urban site. This page is now maintained by Julie Craves.

Please cite as:

Craves, J. A., and D. Wloch. 2012. Fruit seeds of southern Michigan, an online guide. Rouge River Bird Observatory, University of Michigan-Dearborn and Prairie Oaks Ecological Station. Ann Arbor, MI. (seedguide.blogspot.com) Version 2023.

More on our About page.

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Vitis spp. -- Grapes