Vitis mustangensis
Buckley
Mustang Grape
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(c) Tracey Fandre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Tracey Fandre
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(c) Ron Stephens, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaVitis mustangensis, commonly known as the mustang grape, is a species of grape that is native to the southern United States. Its range includes parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Description
A deciduous climbing vine reaching 10 meters, hardy to UK zone 5. Flowers June to July with seeds ripening September to October. Hermaphroditic and insect-pollinated. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Grows in mildly acid to basic pH in semi-shaded woodlands or full sun, adapting to dry or moist soil.
Edible Uses
The fruit can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried for winter use. The skins are tough and the flavour is considered disagreeable, so the berries are used mainly for pies and jellies. They are about 16mm in diameter and borne in bunches. Young leaves are used to wrap other foods before baking, lending them a pleasant flavour. Young tendrils can be eaten raw or cooked.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant.
Where It Grows
Mexico, North America, USA,
Cultivation
Prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam. Grows best in a calcareous soil. Succeeds in sun or partial shade though a warm sunny position is required for the fruit to ripen. Plants climb by means of tendrils. Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.
Propagation
Seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it ripens. Six weeks of cold stratification improves germination rates, so stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as soon as it is obtained. Germination usually occurs in the first spring but may take another 12 months. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, overwinter in a cold frame, and plant out in early summer. Hardwood cuttings of the current season's growth can be taken in December or January and rooted in a frame. These may be 15–30cm long, or short single-bud sections about 5cm long. For the shorter sections, remove a thin strip of bark roughly 3cm long from the lower side to encourage callusing and rooting; these smaller cuttings need more protection than longer ones. Layering is also an option.
Other Uses
A yellow dye is obtained from fresh or dried leaves.
Notes
There are 60 to 70 species of Vitis.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Canadian Moonseed
Menispermum canadense
Cbaile19
Mustang Grape
Vitis mustangensis
(c) Tracey Fandre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Tracey Fandre
Canadian Moonseed: No tendrils, single crescent/moon-shaped seed, leaf stem attaches to underside of leaf.
Mustang Grape: Vine with tendrils, round seeds, leaf stem at edge of leaf, bark that peels.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Uva de monte
References (4)
- Duke, J.A., 1992, Handbook of Edible Weeds. CRC Press. p 212
- Piedra-Malagón, E. M., et al, 2022, Edible native plants of the Gulf of Mexico Province. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e80565 p 32
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 13:451. 1862 ("1861")
