Muscadine Grape: Identifying Characteristics
Habitat:
Muscadine grape grows in pine flatwoods, dry hammocks, and coastal sites.
Size/Form:
Muscadine grape is a high climbing, woody vine that grows up to 60' to 100 long in the wild. It has long-reaching, alternately arranged branches.
Stem:
In contrast to most other grapes, muscadine grape has a tight, non-shedding bark, warty shoots, and unbranched tendrils.
Leaves:
Leaves are simple, deciduous, and about 4" wide and 4" long. The arrangement is typical of the grape family: in each pair at a node, one leaf has been modified into a tendril. The rounded leaves have coarsely serrate edges. Leaves are smooth, dark green above and green tinged yellow, somewhat hairy below.
Fruit:
The fruit is a berry/grape that is borne singly or in small clusters, usually no more than 12 berries in a cluster. Berries are round and up to 1" or more in diameter. The black purple or bronze berries have tan spots when ripe, a thick, tough skin, and contain up to 5 hard, oblong seeds. Berries ripen from July through September.