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Native Plant Society of Texas

Muscadine Grape

Vitis rotundifolia

Other common name(s):

Muscadine, Scuppernong Grape

Family:

Vitaceae (Grape Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Vine

Height

50
to
90
ft.

Spread

1
to
5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Rich, Well Drained, Moist

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow, Green

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Berry, Forage, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Browsers, Birds, Small Mammals, Moths

Maintenance

Very popular in gardens, on arbors, and as screens and borders. Provide a trellis or other structure to climb. Problems with chlorosis are usually encountered in soils that have a pH 7.0 or above. Muscadines will not tolerate “wet feet” and should not be planted on soils with poor drainage. Muscadines are a southern crop requiring warm winters–they will freeze to the ground if grown in areas receiving winter temperatures less than 5 degrees to 10 degrees F. Thrives in summer heat. Propagation: cutting, layering.

Comments

Blooms April-June. A high-climbing or prostrate, deciduous vine. Large leaves are heart-shaped to round and shiny with broad, blunt teeth, sometimes 3-lobed. Small, greenish-white flowers are clustered in panicles in leaf axils. The fruit is a purple-black to bronze berry that ripens in the fall. Larval Host: Nessus Sphinx Moth (Amphion floridensis) and Mournful Sphinx Moth (Enyo lugubris).
Previous Scientific Name(s): Muscadinia rotundifolia

References

1) https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/extension/fruit/Muscadine/muscadine.html#:~:text=Muscadine%20grapes%20%28Vitis%20rotundifolia%29%20are%20native%20to%20East,gardens%2C%20on%20arbors%2C%20and%20as%20screens%20and%20borders., 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VIRO3, 3) https://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=24076&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 4) https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=28609#null, 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Vitis+rotundifolia&formsubmit=Search+Terms, 6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_rotundifolia#:~:text=Vitis%20rotundifolia%2C%20or%20muscadine%2C%20is,and%20thrive%20in%20summer%20heat.&text=Michx.,Sphinx%20Moth%20(Enyo%20lugubris)., 7) https://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=654#:~:text=muscadine%20grape%20Vitaceae%20Vitis%20rotundifolia%20Michx.&text=Leaf%3A%20Alternate%2C%20simple%2C%20cordate,axillary%20panicles%20in%20late%20spring.

Muscadine Grape

Vitis rotundifolia

Other names:

Muscadine, Scuppernong Grape

Family:

Vitaceae (Grape Family)

Characteristics
Growth Form:
Vine
Height:
50
to
90
ft.
Spread:
1
to
5
ft.
Leaf Retention:
Deciduous
Lifespan:
Perennial
Soil:
Sand, Loam, Rich, Well Drained, Moist
Light:
Part Shade
Water:
Medium
Native Habitat:
Woodland
Photo Credit: Claire Sorenson
Photo Credit: Paul Montgomery
Photo Credit: https://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/images/Vitis%20rotundifolia/flower1.jpg
East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands
Color:
Yellow, Green
Season:
Spring
Seasonal Interest:
Berry, Forage, Larval Host
Wildlife Benefit:
Browsers, Birds, Small Mammals, Moths
Very popular in gardens, on arbors, and as screens and borders. Provide a trellis or other structure to climb. Problems with chlorosis are usually encountered in soils that have a pH 7.0 or above. Muscadines will not tolerate “wet feet” and should not be planted on soils with poor drainage. Muscadines are a southern crop requiring warm winters–they will freeze to the ground if grown in areas receiving winter temperatures less than 5 degrees to 10 degrees F. Thrives in summer heat. Propagation: cutting, layering.
Blooms April-June. A high-climbing or prostrate, deciduous vine. Large leaves are heart-shaped to round and shiny with broad, blunt teeth, sometimes 3-lobed. Small, greenish-white flowers are clustered in panicles in leaf axils. The fruit is a purple-black to bronze berry that ripens in the fall. Larval Host: Nessus Sphinx Moth (Amphion floridensis) and Mournful Sphinx Moth (Enyo lugubris).
Previous Scientific Name(s): Muscadinia rotundifolia
1) https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/extension/fruit/Muscadine/muscadine.html#:~:text=Muscadine%20grapes%20%28Vitis%20rotundifolia%29%20are%20native%20to%20East,gardens%2C%20on%20arbors%2C%20and%20as%20screens%20and%20borders., 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VIRO3, 3) https://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=24076&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 4) https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=28609#null, 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Vitis+rotundifolia&formsubmit=Search+Terms, 6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_rotundifolia#:~:text=Vitis%20rotundifolia%2C%20or%20muscadine%2C%20is,and%20thrive%20in%20summer%20heat.&text=Michx.,Sphinx%20Moth%20(Enyo%20lugubris)., 7) https://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=654#:~:text=muscadine%20grape%20Vitaceae%20Vitis%20rotundifolia%20Michx.&text=Leaf%3A%20Alternate%2C%20simple%2C%20cordate,axillary%20panicles%20in%20late%20spring.

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason