Q: After pruning my muscadines a couple of weeks ago, some of the cuts have yellow ooze coming out. What is it?

A: It’s the dripping muscadine sap being colonized by orange-colored yeasts and fungi. As you know, sap consists of lots of sugary materials which are the dream food for yeasts. Some yeasts, like Cryptococcus macerans, can store energy in carotene-filled sacs in their cells. This would give them an orange appearance.

That’s what is happening to your vine. The bleeding will eventually stop. You can wash off the orange goo.

muscadine orange ooze

muscadine orange ooze