Muscadine Grape
Vitis rotundifolia
Family: Vitaceae
Natural History
The nearly round leaves of muscadine grape
Photo credit: Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org
Muscadine grape is also known as wild grape, scuppernong, and southern fox grape, and is valued for its edible, tasty fruit. adine grape grows from Texas to south Florida, north to Delaware, and west to Missouri.
The grapes are a favorite food source for white-tailed deer. Other wildlife also eat the fruit, including black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, raccoon, skunk, squirrel, and opossum. Songbirds such as cardinals, mockingbirds, robins, and cedar waxwings consume the fruit and are essential to the dispersal of muscadine grape seeds.
Humans also enjoy the unique fruity flavor of the grapes and make jellies, jams, juices, and wines from the fruit. Commercial production is small, but they are widely grown for home use and local markets in southeastern states. Native Americans in Florida also made a blue dye from the grapes.