The Most Hardy Muscadines to Grow

History

• The muscadine has been harvested in the U.S. by European settlers for over 400 years, with early varieties harvested from selections found in the wild. The first commercial production of muscadine berries was completed in Tyrrell County, North Carolina in 1760, with the bronze berries commonly being called scuppernongs. To improve cold hardiness, disease and pest-resistance, muscadine varieties have been cultivated to produce new forms of the berries, including Carlos, Doreen, magnolia and Nesbitt.

Temperatures

• Muscadines are tolerant of cold temperatures to around 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and where temperatures reach below zero degrees, varieties of muscadines can be damaged. Varieties of muscadines such as Noble can survive lower temperatures than varieties such as Ison of the state of Georgia. The crop of Ison muscadines was adversely affected by a persistent period of freezing weather in 2001, while the crop of Noble grapes produced in North Carolina was not as severely affected by the same period of freezing temperatures. The muscadine varieties of Magnolia, Carlos and Sterling are some of the most cold hardy, with the ability to be grown as far north as the state of Virginia and west to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, according to NC State University.

Pests

• A number of types of pests can affect the growth of muscadines, including birds and small animals. One of the major pests associated with muscadine production is the Japanese beetle, which can cause a large amount of damage for muscadines. Varieties of muscadine that can be grown commercially without the use of fungicides and pesticides include Carlos, Nesbitt, Noble, Triumph and Regale. Birds are not as much of a problem in the production of muscadines as they can be in the production of blueberries and bunch fruits, according to NC State University.

Varieties

• Hardy varieties of muscadines include the Noble, which is a self-fertile black berry that grows to a medium fruit size. Bronze varieties of muscadines that are hardy include the Sterling, Nesbitt and Carlos; they are all self-fertile and produce large or medium-size berries. Muscadines are used in the production of food products, such as pies, jellies and wines, with some varieties too small to be sold commercially as fresh fruit.