These fast-growing, long-lived native vines thrive along riverbanks, roadsides, forest edges, and fence lines. Green foliage with red veins and purple berries are beautiful and provide an excellent food source for wildlife, including songbirds, gamebirds, mammals, and sphinx moth caterpillars. People also enjoy the fruit!
Berries are ¼ to ½ inch in diameter and ripen from green to blue-black with a white bloom. Each berry contains 5-6 seeds. Sour fruit becomes sweeter with the first frost.
Adapted to a variety of soils, vines grow happily in sun or shade and everything in between.