# muscadine (*Vitis rotundifolia*) Muscadine grapes are sweet, round fruits that grow in bunches on vines. They have a thick skin and are often used to make yummy jams and jellies! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 17 - **Habitat:** Urban areas, Vineyards - **Also known as:** Muscadine Grape ![muscadine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Vitis_rotundifolia.jpg&width=800) Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vitis_rotundifolia.jpg) ## Appearance The muscadine is a vigorous, woody vine with large, rounded to heart-shaped leaves, often glossy green. Its berries grow in loose clusters, displaying colors from bronze to deep purple or black when ripe. Unlike other grapes, muscadines have thick skin and often a single large seed. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Vitales - **Family:** Vitaceae - **Genus:** Vitis ## Interesting facts - Muscadine grapes can "slip" out of their skins, making them fun to eat fresh! - Muscadines are one of the only grape species native to the southeastern United States! - Some muscadine vines can live for over 100 years, growing thick like small trees! - The fruit "scuppernong" is actually a famous type of bronze-colored muscadine grape! ## Special abilities - **Tough Skin Armor:** Its fruit has a thick, leathery skin that helps protect the sweet pulp inside from pests and diseases. - **Disease Shield:** Muscadine vines possess a natural resistance to several common grape diseases, helping them thrive in humid environments. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 900-1800 cm - **Spread:** 300-900 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Birds eat the ripe, sweet berries, helping disperse seeds. - **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Mammals enjoy the sweet fruit, especially fallen ones on the ground. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on the leaves and young shoots of the vines. - **Shelter:** Green Anole (*Anolis carolinensis*) — Dense muscadine vines provide cover and climbing opportunities for small reptiles. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash grapes before eating them to keep them clean and safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify muscadine? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is muscadine? 900-1800 cm ### How wide does muscadine spread? 300-900 cm ### How big are the flowers on muscadine? 0.3-0.5 cm ### When does muscadine bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is muscadine edible? Yes ### Is muscadine toxic? None ### What is muscadine's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bainbridge Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bainbridge-commercial-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Hartwell Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hartwell-commercial-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [The Gardens of the American Rose Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-gardens-of-the-american-rose-center) — Louisiana, US · Botanical Garden - [The State Botanical Garden of Georgia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-state-botanical-garden-of-georgia) — Georgia, US · Botanical Garden - [Tockwotton-Love Place Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tockwotton-love-place-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Bellingrath Gardens and Home](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellingrath-gardens-and-home) — Alabama, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see muscadine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/muscadine) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Muscadine: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/muscadine)