If you’ve ever walked a fence row in Texas and spotted clusters of wild grapes dangling in the sun, you may have wondered: Are those muscadines, or are they mustang grapes? At first glance, the two can look surprisingly similar. But when you taste them—or try to grow them—the differences couldn’t be clearer.
Both grapes have deep roots in Southern history, and both hold a special place in Texas traditions. Yet for anyone thinking about planting a vineyard, making jelly, or just curious about the vines growing on their land, knowing the difference between muscadine and mustang grapes is essential.
Let’s take a closer look at how these two Southern grapes stack up.
Identification – How to tell them apart
The most common confusion comes when people stumble across vines growing in the wild. Both grapes can appear as deep purple or nearly black spheres, but here’s how to tell them apart:
Muscadines (Vitis rotundifolia):
- Round, thick-skinned berries that often grow individually or in small clusters (usually 3–10 grapes per bunch).
- Can be bronze (known as scuppernongs), purple, or black when ripe.
- Skin is firm and slips off the pulp easily when you bite in.
- Sweet flavor when fully ripe.
Mustang Grapes (Vitis mustangensis):
- Usually found in larger clusters than muscadines, with 10–30 smaller grapes.
- Dark purple or black with a dusty white coating (a natural yeast bloom).
- Extremely tart and acidic—so much so that eating them raw can cause mouth irritation or a burning sensation.
- Skins and seeds are tougher, pulp is sour.
A quick taste test usually settles the question. If your lips pucker instantly, you’ve found a mustang.
Habitat & Growth Habits
Muscadines prefer sandy, well-drained soils and thrive in the hot, humid conditions of the American South. They’re cultivated across Texas, Georgia, the Carolinas, and beyond. A well-kept muscadine vineyard can produce for 40 years or more, making them a true legacy crop.
Mustangs, on the other hand, are wild Texas natives. They grow aggressively along fence lines, creek bottoms, and wooded edges. Ranchers often consider them invasive because they spread quickly and climb over trees. While not generally planted on purpose, mustang vines are a familiar sight for anyone exploring rural Texas.
Taste & Uses
This is where the fork in the road really shows.
Muscadines are naturally sweet when ripe, with a flavor often described as “wild grape meets plum.” They’re eaten fresh, made into jelly, fermented into wine, or used for health products like tinctures and powders. Because of their thick skins, muscadines are packed with antioxidants such as resveratrol and ellagic acid, giving them a reputation as a true “superfruit.”
Mustangs are not pleasant to eat raw. The high acidity can cause skin irritation if handled too much, and most people experience a burning or drying effect in their mouths after a bite. Despite this, mustangs have been used for generations in jelly and homemade wines. Old-timers knew to add plenty of sugar to balance the tartness.
In short: muscadines are your everyday eating and winemaking grape, while mustangs are a “make-do” grape that requires heavy processing.
Cultural & Historical Importance
Both grapes have their place in Southern tradition.
Muscadines were cherished by early settlers and Native Americans alike. In the Carolinas, scuppernong muscadines became famous as America’s first cultivated grape. In Texas, muscadines offered settlers a reliable source of fresh fruit and wine. Today, muscadines are still celebrated in festivals, family recipes, and even modern health supplements.
Mustangs tell a different story. For many rural Texans, mustang jelly and mustang wine were staples of self-sufficiency. Families foraged wild grapes along fence lines, boiling them down in sugar to create pantry staples. The sour flavor of mustang wine, once considered rough, is now remembered fondly as part of Texas heritage.
Both grapes connect us to the land and to traditions of resourcefulness—but muscadines shine as a cultivated crop, while mustangs remain tied to wild foraging.
Which Should You Grow?
For anyone considering a vineyard or backyard grape project, the choice is clear:
Grow Muscadines. They are hardy, disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and have a ready market for fresh eating, jelly, and wine. They thrive in Texas sugar sand soil when managed properly, and a small half-acre vineyard can yield thousands of pounds of fruit annually.
Forage Mustangs. Unless you’re aiming for nostalgia, mustangs don’t make sense as a crop. They require too much sugar to balance out their acidity, and their wild growth habits are difficult to tame in a vineyard setting. Still, keeping a mustang vine or two around for jelly-making can be a fun way to honor tradition.
Nutritional Differences
From a nutritional perspective, muscadines outshine mustangs.
Muscadines: High in polyphenols, antioxidants, and fiber. Their skins and seeds contain compounds linked to heart health, anti-inflammatory benefits, and even cancer research. Muscadine juice and powders are increasingly used in the nutraceutical industry.
Mustangs: While they do contain antioxidants and vitamins, their high acidity makes them less practical for fresh consumption. They shine best when processed, but their health reputation isn’t as strong as muscadines.
Vineyard Economics
If your goal is to turn grapes into income, muscadines are the clear winner.
A half-acre vineyard (~90–100 vines) can yield 2,000–3,000 pounds of muscadines at maturity.
That fruit can be turned into jelly, wine, or health products with high profit margins.
Mustangs, by contrast, don’t have a commercial market. They’re valued mainly for foraging and family recipes.
In other words, muscadines are the “retirement crop” while mustangs are the “backyard memory.”
Folklore, Faith, and Symbolism
Grapes have always carried meaning, and in the South, muscadines and mustangs are no exception. Muscadines were often seen as blessings on homesteads, proof that the land could provide abundantly even in sandy or poor soils. Mustangs, meanwhile, carried a wilder symbolism—untamed, sour, and stubborn, much like the Texas spirit itself. Some families even used mustang vines in folk remedies, boiling bark or leaves into tonics.
Church suppers and revivals often featured muscadine punch, tying the grape into spiritual community life. Meanwhile, stories of homemade mustang wine passed down from grandparents remind us of resilience and creativity during leaner times.
Modern Interest and Revival
Today, muscadines are being rediscovered for their economic and health potential. Vineyards across Texas and the Southeast are expanding muscadine plantings, while mustangs remain largely wild—valued more for heritage than commerce. Researchers continue to study muscadines for their unique antioxidants, while chefs and homesteaders experiment with mustang blends for specialty jellies and heritage wines.
Final Thoughts
Muscadines and mustang grapes may look alike from a distance, but they play very different roles in Texas life. Muscadines are the Southern superfruit—sweet, nutritious, and perfect for vineyards and markets. Mustangs are the wild cousin—tart, unruly, and rooted in tradition.
Both deserve respect, but if you’re planning for the future, muscadines are where to plant your stakes.
So the next time you see a wild vine heavy with grapes, ask yourself: Is it a muscadine, or a mustang? Knowing the difference could mean the difference between a sweet snack and a mouthful of sour pucker.