Why have two types of grape in a yard when I already have Roger’s Red? Desert Grape turns to a yellow color in the fall rather than the red of Roger’s Red. Sometimes having too much of the same thing can be a bit much so I went for contrast rather than similarity, but like many things in gardening, it’s to your taste!

One interesting thing about Desert Grape is that it does not produce grapes reliably on the coast and all the way out to Cal State Los Angeles. Artemisia Nursery (an excellent local nursery that you can get plants from!) has Vitis girdiana on their trellis and they get very few grapes. If you are concerned about rats, mice, raccoons or possums enjoying the grapes from Roger’s Red, then this might be the vine for you.

Here in my garden, I use Desert Grape to cover walls that need to stay cool. The stucco on my garage can get to 120 Degrees Fahrenheit, but Desert Grape handles it fine. It didn’t get watered at all other than rain in 2024 and it shrugged off September heat waves without a problem. I’m growing it on the side of my house for this exact reason. It’s literally free air conditioning.

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