Grape, Canyon (Bare Root)

Vitis arizonica, a wild grape native to the SW, reaching it's best development in southwestern New Mexico. A vine near the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument has been recorded as having a main stem 1 ft. in diameter! Vines with 6 inch stems are fairly common. 

The canyon grape is a vigorously branching vine, literally covering trees on which they are growing. Fully developed leaves are three-pointed with a serrated leaf edge.

Where canyon grape bears heavily, local families have the individual vines located and the fruit is highly prized for jellies and preserves. Canyon grape has historically been used as a food source by many Indigenous peoples. Historically it was cultivated by the Pueblo, and was eaten both fresh or dried. Other tribes consumed it as well, such as the Chiricahua and Mescalero Apache. Vitis arizonica has also been useful in the wine industry, for breeding in wild genes that are resistant to Pierce's Disease.