Brandt Grapevine Plants

Vitis vinifera Brandt / Brant Grapevine Plants

Vitis vinifera 'Brandt' is a lovely hardy vine for a sunny position. A great plant for providing summer shade, with large lobed leaves that have superb autumn colour, which are the main reason for most people to grow it in the UK. The dazzling autumn display goes from green to dark crimson, red, orange and yellow.

The bunches of grapes start the season green, turning black in autumn and, although sweetish and fairly juicy, tend to be full of seeds, which makes them only average for eating fresh, and they are better used for making juice than red wine. If you leave them for the birds, they will decorate the plant into autumn and exude their delicious aroma as they age. 

It can be kept in check with judicious pruning, so is suitable for small gardens or courtyards. 

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Features:

• Large deciduous healthy climber
• Bunches of black grapes in autumn
• So-so for eating due to the pips. Great for juice
• Reasonably good for red wine production
• Size: To 8m x 2.5m
• Dazzling autumn colour
• Fully hardy
• Will need light support
• Sunny or lightly shaded position
• RHS Award of Garden Merit

Growing Brandt Grapevines

Full sun is essential if you plan to harvest the fruit for human consumption, but a little shade is fine otherwise. The microclimate beside a warm, sunny wall is ideal. Fertile, well drained but moist during the growing season, alkaline to neutral soil. 

It will need a framework, trellis or wire support, quickly growing to fill a space 8m x 2.5m. It can be pruned in mid-winter to create a framework and again in mid-summer if required.
Alternatively, it is often grown over large pergolas where several plants will provide summer shade and the bunches of grapes can hang down attractively. It associates nicely with other shrubs displaying good autumn colour such as Cotinus coggygria.

Did You Know?

This hybrid of V. riparia Clinton and V. vinifera Black St Peters was raised in the 1860's by Charles Arnold in Canada, and was introduced here in 1886. 

How to plant Vitis vinifera 'Brandt':

Vitis vinifera 'Brandt' should be planted in a deep hole, backfilled with a humus rich compost, to which has been added a handful of bonemeal and some Root Grow, just planting to the pot level.

Firm and water in well and keep watering regularly while the plant matures. It will need some wires or a trellis as support.

Look out for: Resistant to Phylloxera and will cause very few problems. The foliage and sap are a slight irritant.