Lakemont Seedless Grape is a cold-hardy white grape that brings California wine country flavor to northern gardens. Developed as a hardier cousin of the famous Thompson Seedless, this Cornell University variety ripens in late August and produces medium-sized, seedless white fruit that's noticeably sweeter and more flavorful than its California ancestor. Hardy in zones 5 through 8 (some sources suggest zone 9), it reaches 4 to 6 feet tall and takes 2 to 4 years to begin bearing fruit, rewarding patient gardeners with a prolific, beautiful vine that combines productivity with genuine cold tolerance.
96
Full Sun
Moderate
5-8
72in H x ?in W
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High
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Lakemont delivers the sweetness and seedless convenience of Thompson Seedless but with built-in hardiness for cooler climates. The fruit arrives late in the season, typically ripening in late August or early September, which means it's often the last white table grape to mature in most regions. Its crunchy, thin-skinned berries have a rich, complex sweetness that outshines many table grapes, and because it's self-pollinating, a single vine produces abundantly without requiring a second variety nearby.
Lakemont is grown primarily as a fresh eating grape, where its seedless fruit and crisp texture shine on the table or in lunchboxes. Home gardeners prize it as an ornamental vine that produces food; the same trellis or arbor that frames your garden entrance also yields fresh, sweet grapes in late summer.
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Plant bare-root or container-grown Lakemont vines in early spring, as soon as soil can be worked, or in fall in milder areas. Space them 8 feet apart along a sturdy trellis, fence, or arbor. Position the graft union (the knot where the variety was grafted onto rootstock) about 2 inches below soil level to encourage rooting along the buried stem, which aids hardiness. Water deeply after planting and keep the soil consistently moist for the first growing season.
Lakemont grapes reach full ripeness in late August or early September. Harvest when the berries are fully white, plump, and sweet to taste; unlike some grapes, these won't continue to ripen after picking, so taste one before cutting the bunch. Snip the entire cluster with pruning shears rather than pulling, which can damage the vine. Handle carefully, as the thin skin bruises easily.
Prune Lakemont in late winter while dormant, removing dead or weak canes and establishing a main framework of 2 to 4 sturdy arms along your trellis. Each arm should bear short spurs (stubs with 2 to 3 buds), which produce the fruiting shoots. Keep the vine open and airy to allow sunlight and air circulation, reducing disease pressure. Remove any growth below the graft union (rootstock shoots) as soon as it appears.
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“Lakemont emerged from Cornell University's grape breeding program, developed specifically to extend seedless grape growing into regions where Thompson Seedless struggles to survive winters. As a hybrid of Vitis labrusca (native American species with winter hardiness) and Vitis vinifera (the classic wine and table grape species), it bridges two worlds: the cold tolerance of backyard American grapes and the refined flavor of European vineyards. It stands as one of three 'daughters' of Thompson Seedless, alongside Interlaken and Himrod, though Lakemont ripens significantly later, making it the final white seedless option for home growers in cooler climates.”