Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia)
Exposure: Full sun. Zone 7.
Soil: Muscadine grapes prefer a well-drained acidic soil. Drought tolerant once established.
Growth Habits: Muscadines are easy-to-grow, climbing or creeping native vines that are largely insect and disease proof. They have attractive leathery green foliage that leaf out and flower late, thus avoiding most late spring frosts. We recommend muscadines for elevations up to 2500?. Prune annually to maintain high production levels.
Landscape Uses: Trellises, arbors, or fences in the home landscape. They are also suitable for home or commercial vineyards.
Usefulness: Muscadine grapes purple/black or bronze-colored fruit is sweet, musky, and delicious. Their thick skins are very high in beneficial antioxidants, Resveratrol, and anthocyanins (in the purple/black varieties) that are valuable for optimal health and disease prevention. Their grapes are wonderful fresh or can be processed into juices, wines, meads, pies, or fruit preserves.
Available varieties
'Doreen' - Bronze grapes are medium in size, ripen late, in clusters, and have good flavor. Plants are disease resistant and the growth habit is very vigorous. Sugar Content 17%-18%. Use for wine, juice, jelly, and fresh eating. $30/3 gal.
'Cowart' - Medium-sized black fruit ripen early to mid season with excellent flavor. $30/3 gal.
'Southland' - Medium-large black fruit with excellent flavor and 17% sugar. Grows vigorously, is disease resistant, and ripens mid-season. $30/3 gal.
'Sterling' - A high-yielding, mid-season variety with large, delicious bronze fruit. $30/3 gal.
'Sterling' and 'Doreen' out of stock.