floricanes

Floricanes are the second-year canes of grapevines that bear fruit during a growing season. The term combines flower and cane, reflecting that these canes develop from one-year-old wood formed in the previous season and carry the flower buds that become grape clusters. Floricanes are most commonly discussed in the context of Vitis varieties used in table and wine production, where fruit is typically produced on these second-year canes.

Lifecycle and management are central to floricanes. After a floricane bears fruit and is harvested, it is usually pruned away in winter to make room for new canes. The growth that will carry fruit in the next season comes from buds on renewal wood, often described as primocanes in their first year, which may later become floricanes again depending on the training system and variety. Pruning strategies, such as cane pruning or spur pruning, are designed to regulate the number of floricanes retained for fruiting and to balance yield with the vine’s vigor.

Distinctions and agricultural relevance are important for vineyard planning. Floricanes are contrasted with primocanes, which are the current year’s new shoots that either do not fruit or, in primocane-fruiting cultivars, may fruit in the same season. Understanding the floricane–primocane cycle helps vintners manage bud development, wood production, and disease exposure, contributing to stable yields and vine longevity.

Etymology traces floricane to a combination of “flower” and “cane,” reflecting their role as fruit-bearing canes in the vine’s two-year growth cycle. Overall, floricanes are a key concept in many pruning regimes and are central to the seasonal rhythm of grape production.