Latin name - Vitis rotundifolia

The Muscadine Grape is a southern special - native to the southeastern US, it grows wild all along the eastern portion of the country.  Cultivated varieties make large, sweet and delicious fruit, but eating them is pretty different from eating normal table grapes (a separate species - Vitis vinifera - native to Europe).  A Muscadine Grape is larger, rounder, and has a thicker skin.  The flavor is nothing short of remarkable!  It is comparable to a regular table grape, but has a much richer, sweeter, and more complex flavor, rich with tannins and the perfect balance of sweet and tart.  Muscadine Grapes also have small seeds inside the fruit, which can be eaten or spit out.

Why would you grow a Muscadine Grape vine over a traditional table grape?  Well for one, Muscadines are immune to Pierce’s disease, a virus which wipes out European grape vines planted in the South.  Grapes bought at the grocery store are almost always sprayed heavily and must remain refrigerated, whereas Muscadines can easily be grown organically, with no spraying, and can be kept at room temperature if desired.  There are several varieties of Muscadine, but two main types:  Purple skinned, and greenish-bronze skinned (the latter are often called Scuppernongs).

Muscadine Grape vines are easy to grow, love full unobstructed sunlight, and are hardy during times of drought.  Just be sure to keep them watered while they’re bearing fruit, which ripen in the late summer/early fall season.  The vine is deciduous, and will shed its leaves in the winter, going completely bare for a few months before waking up with vigorous growth in spring.  Grow yours on a fence, trellis, or arbor, and be amazed by the sweet and delicious clusters of grapes formed the 2nd year after planting!

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Size: Vining plant

Sun Requirements: Full sun

Cold Hardy: 10º F

Harvest Season:  Late Summer / Early Fall

Watering requirements: Drought tolerant, but water during fruit bearing periods for best results.