What Causes Pollination in Muscadine Grapes?

Types

• Muscadine grapes can be either male/self-pollinating (plants having "perfect" flowers that have both male and female parts) or those that require pollination (plants having "imperfect" flowers, or only female parts).

Male Varieties

• Some of the male/self-pollinating varieties of muscadine grapes are: Carlos, Cowart, Dixieland, Doreen, Florida Fry, Noble and Southern Home, among others. For these varieties, only one variety is needed to produce fruit.

Female Varieties

• Some of the female varieties of muscadines are: Fry, Hunt, Jumbo, Summit and Higgins. These must be planted near a male/self-pollinating variety in order to bear fruit.

Spacing

• It is advisable to plant a male/self-pollinating variety for every two female variety plants.

Process

• No human intervention is needed for pollination. The wind or bees and other insects carry the pollen from the male/self-pollinating plants to the nearby female plants.