Fall Deals:
15% OFF Strawberry Trees - Barbados Cherries - Papayas
15% Off Vitex & Sweet Almond
Roselle & Egyptian Spinach - Buy One Get One Free
🚚 Shipping Update:
We’re now shipping nationwide across the continental U.S. again! 🌱
📦 Please note: Shipping to California remains paused due to agricultural regulations.
🍇 Alachua Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia ‘Alachua’) – Live Plant
Bring home a piece of Southern tradition with the Alachua Muscadine! 🌿🍷 Bred in Florida for exceptional resilience and flavor, this dependable grapevine produces rich, spicy-sweet fruit perfect for fresh eating, jellies, and even homemade wine.
🌿 Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Vitis rotundifolia ‘Alachua’ |
| Plant Type | Fruiting Vine (Deciduous) |
| Size at Sale | Ships in 1-gallon container |
| Mature Height & Width | 8–12 ft with trellis support |
| USDA Zones | 7–10 |
| Sun Requirements | Full sun to partial sun |
| Cold Hardiness | 10–15°F |
| Growth Habit | Vigorous climbing vine |
| Spacing Requirements | 15–20 ft apart |
🍇 Fruit Details
- Origin Story: Alachua was developed in 1990 by Florida breeders as a cross between ‘Fry’ and ‘Southland,’ aiming to create a strong-flavored, disease-resistant grape with more uniform ripening.
- Color & Size: Glossy black-to-dark purple fruit averaging about 7–8 grams each (around 1 inch in diameter).
- Skin & Texture: Thick, protective skin with a juicy, aromatic pulp inside. The skin provides durability but should be allowed to fully ripen for best eating quality.
- Flavor Profile: Complex muscadine flavor — spicy-sweet, bold, and distinctly Southern. Collectors describe Alachua as “solid, dependable” with “good flavor when picked fully ripe.”
- Harvest Season: August through early September in Florida, later in cooler regions.
- Fruiting Habits: Self-fertile — only one vine needed for fruit production. Produces consistently with little maintenance.
🌱 Top Benefits & Uses
- Culinary Delights: Eat fresh from the vine, make homemade jams and jellies, or ferment into a rich muscadine wine.
- Nutritional Boost: Muscadines are packed with antioxidants, including resveratrol, known for heart health benefits.
- Ornamental Appeal: Perfect for covering trellises, arbors, or fences with lush greenery and seasonal fruit.
- Cultural Significance: Muscadines are native to the Southeastern US and have been cultivated since the 1500s. The Alachua variety is a modern Florida-bred improvement with heritage roots.
- Wildlife Benefits: Birds and pollinators enjoy the fruit and flowers.
🌼 Ornamental & Container Appeal
- Landscape Value: Use as a living privacy screen, shade vine, or fruiting arbor centerpiece.
- Container Growth: Can be grown in large containers (15–25 gallons) with trellis support, though long-term performance is better in the ground.
🌿 Best Practices for Planting & Care
Where to Plant:
- Choose a full sun site for maximum fruit set.
- Prefers well-drained sandy loam but adapts to a range of soils.
Planting Instructions:
- Dig a hole just wider than the pot, plant level with the soil line.
- Backfill with native soil mixed with compost.
- Do not bury the crown.
- Use the High & Tight method for long-term success.
Watering:
- Water daily until established, then weekly.
- Increase watering during flowering and fruiting.
Mulching:
- Apply hardwood mulch to retain moisture.
- Keep mulch a few inches away from the base.
Pruning:
- Prune annually in late winter to encourage strong growth and maximum fruit production.
⚠️ Cautions
- Pests: Birds and beetles may feed on ripe fruit — consider netting if harvest loss is an issue.
- Skin Toughness: Alachua has thicker skin than some cultivars; best flavor comes when eaten at peak ripeness.
🌟 Is This Plant Right for You?
✅ Ideal For:
- Home gardeners in USDA zones 7–10
- Growers who want a self-fertile, low-maintenance muscadine
- Lovers of traditional Southern fruit and homemade preserves
- Gardeners wanting a beautiful vine for trellises or arbors
❌ Not Ideal For:
- Gardeners in colder zones below 7 without protection
- Those who prefer thin-skinned grapes like supermarket bunch grapes
❓ FAQ
1. How does Alachua compare to other muscadines?
Alachua is medium-sized with a bold muscadine flavor. It’s not as large or sweet as varieties like Supreme, but it offers excellent disease resistance and dependable yields.
2. What makes the flavor unique?
The flavor is spicy-sweet and complex, stronger than many commercial grapes. Collectors describe it as aromatic with the classic muscadine punch when fully ripe.
3. How long until fruiting?
Expect first harvests within 2–3 years, with production increasing as the vine matures.
4. Can I grow it in a container?
Yes, in large containers with a trellis. However, long-term fruit production is best when planted in the ground.
5. Do I need more than one vine?
No — Alachua is self-fertile and will fruit on its own.
📦 Shipping & Handling Notes
- Size Note: This 1-gallon size ships best to Florida, the Southeast, and Texas.
- We do ship nationwide, but buyers in northern and western states should expect possible transit stress and allow recovery time.
- Heat/Cold Disclaimer: Please order with caution during extreme seasonal temperatures.
- All orders ship Mondays via UPS Ground from Florida. We are not responsible for heat/cold damage during transit.
📍 Local Pickup
Available for local pickup at:
GreenDreams Nursery & Farm
18709 US Hwy. 41, Spring Hill, FL 34610
Open Tues–Fri 9 AM–5 PM | Sat 8 AM–3 PM
🌿 Come see what’s fresh!
🛒 Order Today!
Ready to taste the heritage of the South? Add the Alachua Muscadine Grape to your cart today and start growing your own vineyard at home! 🍷🍇
IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE PURCHASING LIVE PLANTS:
*Please be advised that our online store selections are NOT available for pickup at our retail location in Spring Hill, Florida.
Inventory for our online store is located at a separate facility and are priced and handled exclusively for packaging & shipping.
Click here to learn more about our Spring Hill, FL retail nursery location, including countless more nursery selections ready for pickup - larger sizes and wider variety of plants not suitable for nationwide delivery.
1. Shipping Stress: Transportation can be stressful for plants, particularly when they spend several days in a confined, dark environment. It’s common for plants to experience leaf drop during this period. Rest assured, most plants typically recover quickly and thrive with minimal aftercare. However, some may need extra attention, love, and care, requiring appropriate watering and exposure to gentle light post-unboxing.
2. Potential Physical Damage: Despite our dedicated efforts to ensure that your plants are securely packaged, they may incur damage during shipping and handling by UPS. Rest assured, our shipping team is committed to packing your selections with utmost care and precision to minimize any potential harm.
-
For significant box damage, please reach out to UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
-
For minor damages, such as a broken branch or stem, we advise allowing the plant time to recover and regenerate with proper care and attention.
3. Long-Distance Shipping Considerations: Orders shipped over long distances, particularly to the western US, may take 3 - 5 business days to arrive due to various factors, including agricultural inspections in Arizona, California, and Texas. Such extended transit times can be particularly challenging for tender, young plants, affecting their quality due to prolonged confinement.
-
We take additional measures during packaging to facilitate a swift recovery of the plants upon unboxing.
-
Initial extra care and attention might be required over the first few weeks post-transport.
For further guidance, kindly review our detailed policies on returns and refunds, as well as our comprehensive plant care guide. We appreciate your understanding and patience in nurturing your new plants.
🌿 Important Shipping Information
Please take a moment to review our shipping protocols designed to ensure your plants arrive in optimal condition.
-
Countdown Clock: At the top of our online store, you'll notice a countdown clock. This tool helps communicate our weekly shipping schedule, providing clarity on when you can expect your orders to be dispatched.
-
Shipping Schedule: Our nursery, located in the heart of Central Florida, ships orders once weekly, every Monday. This is a strategic decision to prevent packages from being stationary over the weekends, ensuring that our plants travel as swiftly as possible across the country, even reaching as far as California.
-
Shipping Method: At present, we offer ground shipping rates to meet various needs while maintaining the well-being of our plants during transit.
-
Our Dedicated Team: We are a boutique nursery with a passionate team. Our members wear many hats, contributing to shipping, nursery operations, and engaging in valuable local projects. As we blossom and expand, rest assured that enhancing and streamlining our processes remains a priority to serve you better
Terms and Conditions for Purchasing Live Plants
1. Understanding of Shipping Stress
By purchasing live plants from our store, the customer acknowledges that transportation can be stressful for plants. It is common for plants to undergo leaf drop or experience other temporary issues during shipping. However, it is understood that most plants recover quickly with adequate care and attention post-shipping.
2. Awareness of Potential Physical Damage
Customers acknowledge that despite our best efforts in packaging, there may be occurrences of damage during shipping and handling. For substantial damages to the package, customers agree to contact UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
3. Acknowledgement of Long-Distance Shipping Considerations
Customers recognize that shipments, especially those directed to the western US, may be subjected to longer shipping durations of 3-5 business days. Customers agree to provide necessary care to the plants, recognizing that the quality of the plants may be affected due to prolonged shipping times.
4. Agreement with Shipping Information and Schedule
Customers, by making a purchase, have reviewed and agreed upon our shipping protocols and schedules. They acknowledge the presence of a countdown clock on the website and our once-weekly shipping policy every Monday, recognizing the rationale behind avoiding weekend layovers for the plants.
5.Extreme Weather Conditions
Customers acknowledge that our store is not responsible for damage or loss of live plants due to extreme weather conditions during transit and delivery. This includes exposure to cold or freezing temperatures during the winter months and extreme heat during the summer. We provide tracking information when orders are processed every Monday to ensure customers are aware of the delivery schedule. It is the customer's responsibility to prevent packages from being left outside in conditions that may cause damage. Our store does not accept responsibility for any adverse effects caused by weather conditions beyond our control.
6. No Refund Policy
Customers agree that refunds are only processed under exceptional circumstances. Our store will not be held responsible for poor plant choices relative to location suitability, extreme conditions during and/or post-shipment, and improper post-purchase plant care.
7. Responsibility of Care
Upon purchase, customers agree to assume full responsibility for the ongoing care of the plants. This includes, but is not limited to, appropriate watering, exposure to suitable light, and adherence to specific care instructions pertinent to each plant type.
8. Consent
By proceeding with this purchase, customers consent to all the terms and conditions stated above, confirming understanding and agreement to all stipulations mentioned.
These terms and conditions aim to ensure clarity, mutual understanding, and agreement between the seller and the customer to facilitate a smooth transaction and foster a positive customer experience.
