Plant News Articles

The Mother Vine is believed to be the oldest cultivated grapevine in the US. It was planted about 400 years ago on Roanoke Island, probably by Croatan natives or Sir Walter Raleigh's doomed settlers. Jack Wilson, an 84-year-old retiree, has been tending the vine since 1957, when he and his wife built a home right next to it. Wilson was dismayed this year when he discovered power company contractor had inadvertently sprayed a portion of the sprawling vine with chemical weedkiller.

Wilson pruned the dead leaves and vines only to see the plant die back even further. He made some calls. Plant experts rushed in from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. A viticulture specialist from North Carolina State University was dispatched to Manteo for consultation. Dominion Virginia Power, the power company, placed a call to Lloyd Hipkins, a Virginia Tech weed scientist. Hipkins drove straight to the site and made a hasty prescription: prune, water, fertilize "It looks like hell," Hipkins said of the vine's damaged section, "but the injury to the plant was really localized."

After several weeks and lots of TLC, the Mother Vine appears to be on the mend "I think she's going to make it," Jack said. That assessment came as a great relief to Rodney Blevins, a Dominion Power vice president who visited the Wilsons recently to check on the Mother Vine's health. When Blevins heard about the spraying in late May, he called the family to apologize. "We are deeply sorry for any harm that has been done to the Mother Vine," Blevins said. "It's an important cultural icon, not just locally but for the entire country." He said the company is working with its contractors to ensure they "don't allow this to happen again."

At EasyBloom, we wish the best for the Mother Vine and all who tend to it. May it thrive another 400 years!