On the other hand muscadines perform satisfactorily in the warmer grape growing regions of California, Oregon and Washington. Muscadines are vigorous, deciduous vines growing 60-100 ft. in the wild. Botanically, they differ in significant ways from other grapes and are placed in a separate sub-genus, Muscadinia . In contrast to most other grapes, muscadines have a tight, non-shedding bark, warty shoots and unbranched tendrils. Dark green above and green tinged yellow beneath, the leaves are glossy on both sides, becoming firm and subglabrous at maturity.
Muscadines are dioecious, with male and female flowers on different plants.
The small, greenish flowers are borne in short, dense panicles. It appears that both wind and insects play a role in the pollination of the female flowers. For best results a perfect-flowered vine should be within 25 ft. of female vines, or every third vine when planted in a mixed single row. Muscadines do not readily hybridize with other grape species. In color the fruits range from greenish bronze through bronze, pinkish red, purple and almost black.