Vitis rotundifolia

Common Names

Muscadine, Muscadine Grape, Scuppernong, Scuppernong Grape, Southern Fox Grape, Muscadine Grapes, Scuppernongs

Summary

Muscadine grape native to the southeastern United States is a vigorous deciduous climbing vine, with wild growth reaching 60–100 feet while cultivated plants are typically about 8 feet tall. It features large glossy leaves, thick-skinned berries that occur in loose clusters of 3–40 and range in color from bronze to purple-black, about 1 inch in diameter, with flesh that is sweet and often musky in wild forms. Flowers are small and greenish and the plant is dioecious, with some cultivars self-fertile. Cultivation requires full sun and well-drained soils, tolerating sandy loam to loam with a pH around 5.5–6.5; hardy to USDA zones 5–9; propagation by cuttings or layering, with bare-root planting December–February and container planting year-round with irrigation. Trellis systems (one-wire or double-curtain) and winter pruning establish structure; vines are spaced 10–20 feet apart and harvest occurs July–October; uses include fresh eating, juice, wine, and jelly, with leaves edible when cooked. Notable resistance to Pierce’s disease reduces spray needs, though vines can be aggressive and benefit from pruning to control spread.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

84-120 inches

Spread

20 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5a-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun.

Soil Type

Well-drained loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil; ideal types are loamy sands and sandy loams with adequate drainage to avoid waterlogging

Soil pH

5.5-6.5

Bloom Color

Insignificant

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green (dark green on the upper surface; green-tinged yellow beneath; may turn golden yellow in fall)

Fall Foliage Color

Golden yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Bees and other pollinators, and birds, are attracted to the plant