Vitis rotundifolia

Vitis rotundifolia, or muscadine, is a grapevine species native to the southeastern and south-central United States. The growth range extends from Florida to New Jersey coast, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It has been extensively cultivated since the 16th century. The plants are well-adapted to their native warm and humid climate; they need fewer chilling hours than better known varieties, and thrive in summer heat. Muscadine berries may be bronze or dark purple or black when ripe. Wild varieties may stay green through maturity. Muscadines are typically used in making artisan wines, juice, hull pie and jelly. They are rich sources of polyphenols. In a natural setting, muscadine provides wildlife habitat as shelter, browse, and food for many birds and animals. It is also a larval host for the Nessus Sphinx Moth (Amphion floridensis) and the Mournful Sphinx Moth (Enyo lugubris).

Description

A vigorous deciduous vine. It can grow to 30 m long. They have a tight non shedding bark. The shoots are warty and the tendrils are unbranched. The leaves have slight lobes. The leaves are 6-12 cm long with toothed edges. The leaves are dark green on top and greenish yellow underneath. The leaves are glossy on both surfaces. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants. The flowers are small and green. Fruit occur in small loose clusters of 3-40 grapes. The fruit are round and 2-4 cm across and with a tough skin. These contain up to 5 hard oblong seeds. The fruit can range from green to bronze to red or purple. There are several different cultivated varieties.

Edible Uses

The fruit is thick-skinned with a pleasant musky flavour, enjoyable fresh and excellent in jellies and pies. It grows up to 25mm in diameter and is produced in small bunches, and can also be dried for winter use. Young leaves are cooked, often wrapped around other foods and baked to lend a pleasant flavour. Young tendrils can be eaten raw or cooked.

Traditional Uses

Fruit can be eaten fresh but are also used for jams, jellies, sauces, syrups and juices. They can be used for wine.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

They suit warm humid conditions. It cannot tolerate heavy frost. It should not be grown where winter temperatures regularly go below -4°C. They need full sunlight with good air flow. They can grow on a range of soils but do best on well drained sandy soils with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. They will not tolerate wet ground. Plants are shallow rooted. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.

Where It Grows

Australia, Brazil, Cuba, Guam, Hawaii, Mexico, North America, Pacific, South America, USA*, West Indies,

Cultivation

Plants are normally propagated by layering as cuttings root with difficulty. In mid summer canes of the current seasons growth are bent down and covered with earth. When these have developed roots they can be cut from the parent. Annual pruning must be severe to keep new fruiting wood coming. The basic framework is for a trunk, permanent arms then fruiting spurs. Current seasons fruiting shoots need to be on last year's growth. Shoots from older wood are normally sterile.

Propagation

Seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Six weeks of cold stratification improves germination, so stored seed should also 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 out seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle, grow on in a cold frame through their first winter, then plant out in early summer. Cuttings of mature wood from the current season's growth can be taken in December or January and rooted in a frame. These can be 15–30cm long, or short single-bud sections around 5cm long. For the shorter sections, remove a thin strip of bark about 3cm long from the lower half of one side to encourage callusing and root formation — these smaller cuttings need a more sheltered environment than the longer ones. Layering is also an option.

Other Uses

Grapevines can serve as ground cover to prevent soil erosion and support biodiversity, providing habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife. The plant is also suited to arbor plantings. A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves. The flowers produce nectar attractive to bees and other pollinators. The fruit is consumed by birds, mammals and insects, and the foliage and leaf litter offer shelter for various invertebrates.

Production

Fruit on a bunch normally ripen at separate times so need to be picked individually. Ripe fruit fall so can be caught with a cloth.

Other Information

It is a cultivated food plant.

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.

DEADLY

Canadian Moonseed

Menispermum canadense

Cbaile19

Safe

Muscadine grape

Vitis rotundifolia

(c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)

Canadian Moonseed: No tendrils, single crescent/moon-shaped seed, leaf stem attaches to underside of leaf.

Muscadine grape: Vine with tendrils, round seeds, leaf stem at edge of leaf, bark that peels.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Bullace grape, Scuppernong, Southern fox grape, Uva muscadina

References (21)

• Crandall, C & Crandall, B., 1996, Flowering Fruiting and Foliage vines. Sterling. p 94
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1478
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 246
• Fl. bor.-amer. 2:231. 1903
• Flowerdew, B., 2000, Complete Fruit Book. Kyle Cathie Ltd., London. p 92

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