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Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia) grapevine, Assateague Island National Seashore, 2015.

Long before Europeans arrived in North America, about six grape varieties were already growing here - including the muscadine pictured here. They can be found growing in the wild from Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico and in a variety of different soils. At Assateague Island NS, muscadine prefer growing in well-drained soils and will climb up anything around which its able to wrap its tendrils. Muscadine grapes (which are technically berries) grow in small clusters instead of the large bunches that the modern grocery store cultivated varieties prefer. Due to the thick skin, when eating muscadine grapes it's best to tear open the skin at the stem scar, then simply squeeze the pulp and seeds into your mouth. They also make a very sweet wine.

U.S. National Park Service

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Assateague Island National Seashore, Code: ASIS

National Park Service Facebook Photos

Title: Assateague Island National Seashore
URL: https://www.facebook.com/AssateagueNPS

20151123

11/23/2015

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Organization: Assateague Island National Seashore
Address: 7206 National Seashore Lane, Berlin, MD 21811

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