Are Grape Plants Winter-Hardy?

Geography

• Few grape plants have an ability to grow where the winters get any colder than they do in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 5 -- sometimes dropping as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Types

• The types of grape plants, mostly in the form of climbing vines, capable of growing between USDA zones 5 and 8 include cultivars of the fox grape (Vitis labrusca) known as Niagara, Chardonel and Concord. Other hybrid selections of grapes developed specifically for ornamental use and fruit production that grow in USDA zone 5 include the Canadice, Himrod, Marquis and Catawba cultivars.

Hardiest

• A grape vine that grows sometimes to 60 feet, native to Japan, is the crimson glory vine (Vitis coignetiae). This vine is a suitable grape species for trellises and arbors, with a cold hardiness to USDA zone 3. Crimson glory vine features dark green foliage that changes to deep red in autumn.