Wild Grape
Vitis riparia
Growing on fencelines, up trees, and weaving itself into bushes, wild grape vines can be found everywhere in southern Ontario.
In addition to being edible -- making a delicious wild grape jelly! -- the fruits of wild grape make a wonderful purple ink, with great staying power. When you paint with wild grape purple, your painting will still be purple even years later.
This ink is also sensitive to changes in pH, which makes it perfect for colourful kitchen science experiments! Adding an acid like vinegar to your ink may push it in a pink direction, while making it more alkaline with a baking powder solution will push it towards blues and greens. These colour changes are not always permanent on the page, but they sure are fun to play with!
Purple is not the only colour up wild grape's sleeve either. With a tin, a fire, and some patience, cut pieces of the vine can be charred down to make an excellent homemade black charcoal.
