Water From Muscadine Vines

The Muscadine vine is a quick and easy source of fresh drinking water. The water is ready to drink, straight from the plant. Spring is the very best time to use Muscadine vines to obtain water because in the spring they give water at faster rates than the rest of the year. During the summer and fall you can still obtain water, but it will not supply as much as quickly.

Not only does the vine provide water, but it also provides sugars and nutrients. So, Muscadine water is actually better for you than any water you have ever had!

Muscadines go by the scientific name of Vitis rotundifolia. There are many other species of Vitus which is a member of the grape family and any Vitis sp. plants should not be overlooked.

To get the water from the vine you have two options. One option that provides the most water is to find a large vine that reaches high into the treetops. The vine needs to be wrist sized. The method doesn't provide much water from the smaller plants. After you have located the large vine, cut the vine completely. The cut should be made diagonally, not straight across.

Be sure to have a container prior to cutting the vine because it will start dripping immediately and valuable water will be wasted if you are scrambling to get a container after the cut has already been made. Once the cut is made, position the container directly under the cut to collect the water that drips out. If water doesn't come out right away, then there is no sense in waiting around, as it is not going to start dripping later.

This method is the method best suited for a survival situation and not long-term survival living. Cutting the vine completely through is the same as harvesting the entire plant. If you have an established home a better method is to cut a notch in the bottom of the vine and collect what it provides. The plant will heal up and that same vine can provide water again at a later date.

Identification: Leaves are a glossy green and shaped like rounded hearts and measure between 3 and 5 inches in diameter. The leaves will have irregular, coarse, blunt teeth on their leaves. In the fall, the leaves turn shades of yellow before dropping off.

Oh, and don't forget to check for Muscadine fruit, while you are collecting the water if it is later in the season.