Do Muscadine Vines Need a Pollinator?

Muscadine Flowers

• Flowers are how a plant reproduces. Pollen is spread from the anther, or male sex organ, to the stigma, the female sex organ, to pollinate, fertilize and bare fruit. Muscadine grape vines have either self-unfruitful flowers, those with only female organs, or self-fruitful flowers, those with both male and female organs. Varieties with self-unfruitful flowers do not produce fruit unless a variety with self-fruitful flowers is nearby. No matter which vine you plant, pollinators transfer pollen from the anther to the stigma of the same or a different vine.

Pollinators

• Many people think of bees when thinking of insects pollinating flowers, but there are many insects and even some animals that pollinate flowers. Several types of beetles, include ladybugs, eat pollen and can pollinate flowers. Flies, butterflies, moths and some wasps are also pollinators. Among the animal pollinators are birds, like humming birds and several species of nectar-feeding bats.

Attracting and Protecting Pollinators

• There are several ways attracting pollinators to muscadine vines and protecting them once they're in your garden. Plant a wide array of nectar plants with varying colors and bloom times. Use native plants wherever possible and avoid showy, double-flowered hybrids, as these are often bred without pollen and nectar. Research your native moths and butterflies and include larval host plants in your garden. A sponge soaked in a dish of sea salt and water or a muddy patch of ground attracts butterflies. Dead trees, tree stumps or dead limbs with varying diameters of holes drilled into them attract bees. Avoid using chemicals whenever possible. Use cultural practices or safer insecticides like soapy water for pest control.

Muscadine Varieties

• If you're only planting one vine or one type vine, plant a self-fruitful type. Carlos bares bronze berries in midseason that are good eaten fresh or made into juice, wine, jams or jellies. Nesbitt produces large, black berries midseason that are best eaten fresh. If you want to plant a variety of vines, interplant self-fruitful with self-unfruitful types. Summit is a self-unfruitful, disease-resistant vine with large, sweet fruit produced in early to midseason. Surrogate is a self-unfruitful vine with large, black fruit that has excellent flavor, according to the Clemson Cooperative Extension.