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Horticulturist, Thomas Volney Munson, was instrumental in saving the grape in Europe. He found a grapevine, in Texas, resistant to disease. Through study and a grafting program, scientist were able to use the Texas grapevine to restore vineyards throughout the world. He found the rootstock in Denison, Texas.

Seeing the Proverbial Forest for the Trees

Mustang grape vine growing on the trunk of one of my oak trees and into the canopy, rain grapes, during the month of August. The grapevine is native to this area and one of our vines is over 50 years old. Mustang grape vines can grow very long and wide in diameter. The thick woody vines are called lianas.

Because lianas are supported by other plants, they may conserve resources that other plants must allocate to the development of structure and use them instead for growth and reproduction. In general, lianas are detrimental to the trees that support them. Growth rates are lower for trees with lianas; they directly damage hosts by mechanical abrasion and strangulation, render hosts more susceptible to ice and wind damage, and increase the probability that the host tree falls. Lianas also make the canopy of trees more accessible to animals which eat leaves. Because of these negative effects, trees which remain free of lianas are at an advantage; some species have evolved characteristics which help them avoid or shed lianas.