Muscadine Grapes

A Florida Native: The Muscadine Grapes 

Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon gave Florida its name in recognition of its beautiful fruits and flowers. Among the rich vegetation, early settlers discovered native muscadine grapevines on Florida's east coast. 

Around 1562, near present-day St. Augustine, French Huguenot settlers harvested the wild grapes and applied the traditions of their homeland to make the first known wines of the New World. 

The native muscadine grape also plays an important role in the ethnobotanical history of Florida. Ethnobotany is the study of the interaction between people, plants and culture. The muscadine grape provided a source of fruit for Native Americans. Native Americans used the long stems of the muscadine vine to make deer snares. They also ate the fruit and traded muscadines with pioneers. 

Muscadines have many names originating from the first tribes, including scuppernongs, bullets or bullises. Muscadines are also known in various parts as bull grapes, bullet grapes or Southern fox grapes. 

These grapes are popular because they have a high degree of tolerance to pests and diseases and can be grown with minimal or no use of pesticides. 

Muscadines differ from the bunch grapes found in the produce section of the supermarket in that they are thicker-skinned, somewhat spicy-sweet, and are picked individually from the vine rather than in bunches. They ripen from August through mid October depending on location. Enjoy them fresh or make them into jelly, jam or wine. 

Most muscadine vines will bear between 55 to 80 lbs. of fruit per vine and will produce for decades. Wild muscadine vines can be either male or female and must grow near each other in order for pollination to occur and grapes to form. If you don't have the room for multiple vines, opt for a self-fertile variety,( i.e. those that are said to have "perfect" flowers). 

Many varieties of muscadines are commercially available, and several of the most popular self-fertile cultivars in Florida are "Carlos", "Polyanna", "Florida Fry”, and "Southern Home". 

Muscadines will do best and fruit most heavily if planted in a sunny spot with well drained soil. Plant new vines in the spring after the danger of hard freezes has passed, spacing plants at least 10 to 20 feet apart and leaving 4 to 10 feet between rows. Proper trellising helps contribute to good fruit production, so choose a trellising system that will work in your space. 

Muscadine grape vines can be found on Deerfield Island. 

Submitted by Mel Nass      12/2023