Sprouts originate from vegetative buds both above and below ground. Sprouts survive only 3 years under a closed-canopy forest. Summer grape produces seed 3 years after establishment. Summer grape seeds accumulate in the seedbank and germinate only when light and temperature conditions are favorable. Seedlings grow much more slowly than sprouts and the tops are usually winter-killed after the first growing season.
Summer grape grows on fertile, well-drained, upland sites with abundant soil moisture.
Facultative Seral Species Summer grape is intolerant of shade. It persists in closed forests only if it is present in the upper canopy. In North Carolina, summer grape flowers emerge with leaves in mid-April.