PlantFiles: Mustang Grape, Texas Grape, Rio Grande Grape
Vitis mustangensis

This plant grew wild in the woods of my farm outside of Bridgeport, TX. Makes some of the best jelly in the world! As kids, we would "slip" the skin off to eat it ~ as it is the skin that would tear up the mouth.

My grandmother grew this in her massive garden in Texas, trained on huge trellises. It grew all the way down one fence, with a long stretch of lawn running the same length- that way it didn't compete with other plants. It was somewhat of a "beast," as she always complained about having to go out and "tame the mustangs." It's actually listed as a noxious weed in some states, and the high acid content can irritate skin and the mouth. Glove use when picking is recommended, though I never saw my grandmother use them. Some cultivars are very bitter or sour, others more sweet. Excellent wine can be made from them; there are many wine making recipes on the internet for this. My grandmother made jelly, though she complained of having to use lots of sugar. Older vines can make very thick "trunks" and can also take over trees and shrubs, so be careful. Pruning should be done in winter to prevent "bleeding." Leaves can be lobed or not. Berries can be dark red, dark purple, black, or gold-white. If you want to take the extra time and trouble, it's a beautiful and useful addition to the garden.

This wild grape vine grows uncontrollably all over my area in southern Bexar County. It is almost impossible to remove completely, but I have to keep it somewhat maintained otherwise it can "choke out" my hickories and other trees on my land. It can kill or hurt trees since the grape leaves will twist around and nearly completely cover a tree's own foliage/leaves.
Otherwise, it is a nice low-maintainance vine with pretty two-tone green leaves. The vines on my property are the gender that does not produce actual grapes, so I do not usually see very much in the way of blooms or fruit. But it does add a nice touch to the landscape... Once I get my wood fence built, I hope to "train" the vine to grow over the fence instead of my trees!