Flowers
(Rotundifolia)
Flowers is a late, dark-colored Rotundifolia very popular in the
Carolinas. The variety is noted for its vigorous and productive
vines, its large fruit-clusters and grapes that cling in the cluster
unusually well for a variety of this species. The crop ripens in North
Carolina in October and November. The fruit is valuable only for wine
and grape-juice, having little to recommend it for des
ert purposes.
Flowers was found in a swamp near Lamberton, North Carolina, more than
a hundred years ago by William Flowers. Improved Flowers, probably a
seedling of Flowers, was found near Whiteville, North Carolina, about
1869. It differs from its supposed parent in having a more vigorous
and productive vine and larger clusters, the berries of which cling
even more tenaciously.
Vine vigorous, healthy, upright, open, very productive. Canes
long, slender, numerous. Leaves variable but average medium in
size, longer than broad, pointed, cordate, thick, dark green,
smooth, leathery; margins sharply serrate; flowers perfect.
Fruit very late, keeps well. Clusters, large, consisting of ten to
twenty-five berries. Berries large, round-oblong, purple or
purplish-black, clinging well to the cluster-stem; skin thick,
tough, faintly marked with dots; pulp white, lacking in juice,
hard, sweetish, austere in flavor; poor for a table-grape but
excellent for grape-juice.