Vitis rotundifolia
Muscadine Grape
a deciduous member of the Vitis genus in the family Vitaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Fruit - raw or dried for winter use[1][8][11][14]. Thick-skinned[16] with a pleasant musky flavour[2][9][10]. Pleasant to eat raw, the fruit is excellent in jellies, pies etc[7]. The fruit is up to 25mm in diameter[9] and is produced in small bunches[12]. Leaves - cooked[15]. Young leaves are wrapped around other foods and then baked, they impart a pleasant flavour. Young tendrils - raw or cooked[15][17].
- Plant part
- Fruit
- Plant part
- Leaves
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves[4].
- Product or use
- Dye
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Climber
Environment
- Range
- South-eastern N. America - Delaware to Indiana and Kansas, south to Florida, Texas and Mexico.
- Habitat
- Woods, thickets, sandhills and shores[13].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[K]. Six weeks cold stratification improves the germination rate, and so stored seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is obtained. Germination should take place in the first spring, but sometimes takes another 12 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in early summer. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, December/January in a frame. These cuttings can be of wood 15 - 30cm long or they can be of short sections of the stem about 5cm long with just one bud at the top of the section. In this case a thin, narrow strip of the bark about 3cm long is removed from the bottom half of the side of the stem. This will encourage callusing and the formation of roots. Due to the size of these cuttings they need to be kept in a more protected environment than the longer cuttings. Layering.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam[18][23]. Grows best in a calcareous soil[23]. Succeeds in sun or partial shade though a warm sunny position is required for the fruit to ripen[23]. Prefers a position in full sun[19]
Plants climb by means of tendrils[21]. They grow particularly well up elm trees[20]. Cultivated for its edible fruit in N. America[24][25], there are some named varieties[22]. Most plants are self-fertile[19], but there are some cultivars that only produce female flowers and require pollination[22]. Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely[21][23]. Resistant to Phylloxera disease, a disease that almost destroyed the European grape crops. This species can be used as a rootstock in areas where the disease is prevalent and can also be used in breeding programmes with V. vinifera in order to impart resistance to that species[19]. Plants are, however, susceptible to infestation by aphis[19].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[23].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.
Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00
Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.
Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202
Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987. ()
Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins (1979-00-00)
Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-00-00)