Vitis mustangensis aka Mustang Grape

Vitis mustangensis, or mustang grape, belongs to the grape family. Its native range runs from Oklahoma to Alabama and into Tamaulipas, Mexico. It grows in rich, damp woods, often over limestone. Kew classes its climate as subtropical. This deciduous vine sheds its leaves each year. It climbs with tendrils and can reach about 33 feet [10 metres].

The vine flowers from June to July, according to Plants For A Future. Its flowers have both male and female parts. Insects carry pollen between the flowers. Seeds ripen from September to October. The fruit grows in bunches, with each grape about 0.05 feet [0.016 metres] across. Its tough skin and poor fresh flavour limit its appeal raw. Cooking offers a more useful way to enjoy the crop.

Choose a warm, sunny site when fruit is the goal. The vine also grows in partial shade, including woodland edges. It prefers deep, rich loam that drains well. Moderate soil fertility suits it, and lime-rich ground supports good growth. It accepts sandy soil and clay as well as loam. It also tolerates mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline conditions. Soil may be dry or moist, though its preferred loam holds moisture. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 4–8 for this species.

Prune in winter while the vine rests. Cuts made outside dormancy can lose large amounts of sap. Seed and mature wood cuttings offer ways to raise new plants. Sow fresh seed in a cold frame once it ripens. Six weeks of cold treatment can help stored seed sprout. Seed may emerge the next spring or take another year. Keep young plants in a cold frame through their first winter. Set them out in early summer. Take mature wood cuttings in December or January.

The fruit can be eaten fresh, cooked, or dried for storage. Pies and jellies make use of the tough-skinned grapes. Young leaves can wrap foods before baking and add flavour. Young tendrils are also edible, either raw or cooked. Fresh or dried leaves yield a yellow dye. These uses give the vine value in an edible woodland garden. Plants For A Future reports no known hazards or medicinal uses. Its account does not establish safety for pets.