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Summer Grape

Vitis aestivalis

74
Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
25–35 feet
Spread
3–6 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 4.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 5 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Late spring
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Recorded in 100 Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 113 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

72CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Vitis

  • Abagrotis anchocelioidesBlueberry Budworm Moth
  • Abagrotis cupidaCupid Dart
  • Abagrotis magnicupidaOne-Dotted Dart
  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
  • Acoloithus falsariusClemens' False Skeletonizer Moth
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Adela ridingsellaRidings' Fairy Moth
  • Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Show all 72
  • Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
  • Alypia octomaculataEight-Spot Forester, 8-Spot Forester
  • Amphion floridensisNessus Sphinx
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
  • Cenopis directanaChokecherry Leafroller Moth
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Cerastis tenebriferaReddish Speckled Dart
  • Darapsa myronVirginia Creeper Sphinx
  • Deidamia inscriptumLettered Sphinx
  • Desmia funeralisGrape Leaffolder Moth
  • Dyspteris abortivariaThe Bad-Wing, Badwing
  • Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euclidia cuspideaToothed Somberwing
  • Eudryas grataBeautiful Wood-Nymph
  • Eudryas unioPearly Wood-Nymph
  • Eulithis diversilineataLesser Grapevine Looper Moth
  • Eulithis gracilineataGreater Grapevine Looper
  • Eumorpha achemonAchemon Sphinx
  • Eumorpha pandorusPandorus Sphinx, Pandora Sphinx
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
  • Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Geina periscelidactylaGrape Plume Moth
  • Geina sheppardiSheppard's Plume Moth
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Harrisina americanaGrapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Lacinipolia meditataThe Thinker
  • Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Lyonetia prunifoliellaStriped Bent-wing
  • Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • Paralobesia viteanaAmerican Vine Moth, Grape Berry Moth
  • Paranthrene tabaniformisDusky Clearwing
  • Phyllocnistis vitifoliellaGrape Serpentine Leafminer
  • Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
  • Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Psychomorpha epimenisGrapevine Epimenis
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Spaelotis clandestinaClandestine Dart, W-Marked Cutworm
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Sphecodina abbottiiAbbott's Sphinx
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Vitacea polistiformisGrape Root Borer Moth
  • Vitacea scepsiformisVirginia Creeper Clearwing, Lesser Grape Root Borer
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia smithiiSmith's Dart
  • Cacotherapia unipuncta
  • Heliozela aesella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
10BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Vitis

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
33BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Vitis

  • Bombycilla cedrorumCedar Waxwing
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Aix sponsaWood Duck
  • Aphelocoma californicaCalifornia Scrub-Jay
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
Show all 33
  • Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
  • Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
  • Cyanocitta stelleriSteller's Jay
  • Dryobates pubescensDowny Woodpecker
  • Empidonax flaviventrisYellow-bellied Flycatcher
  • Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
  • Melanerpes carolinusRed-bellied Woodpecker
  • Melanerpes erythrocephalusRed-headed Woodpecker
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
  • Patagioenas fasciataBand-tailed Pigeon
  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Sialia currucoidesMountain Bluebird
  • Sialia mexicanaWestern Bluebird
  • Sitta carolinensisWhite-breasted Nuthatch
  • Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
  • Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
  • Vireo flavifronsYellow-throated Vireo
  • Vireo gilvusWarbling Vireo
  • Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
  • Vireo solitariusBlue-headed Vireo
  • Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Vitaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow or green
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Late spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 5a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “25–35 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
  • Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
  • Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “3–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources