Polygonum uvifera L.
Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. Sea grape
If there’s a picture of a Florida or Caribbean beach, there’s probably a sea grape tree lurking in the background. This is the native habitat of sea grape, which is also found in Mississippi and Hawaii. Plants: Trees are up to 10-40′ (3-12 m) in height and up to 35′ (10 m) wide, often branching broadly. Bark is smooth, peeling, and grayish, with irregular patches of white, gray and light brown. Leaves: Leathery, broad, almost hairless leaves have prominent red veins. They are alternate and round to kidney-shaped, and up to 8″ (20 cm) around. At the base of each leaf stem (petiole) is a red, collar-like sheath, an identifying feature of this species. Leaves become entirely red before they fall in the winter. Young leaves are coppery or bronze-colored. Flowers: Inconspicuous white flowers appear on thin racemes about 1′ (30 cm) long. They have mild fragrance. Fruits: Flowers become dense grape-like clusters. Each grape is roughly spherical, ¾″ (1.9 cm) in size, maturing from green through shades of yellow and red, to deep purple. Fruits appear only on female trees. Each grape contains a single, hard seed. Edibility: Fruits range from tart to sweet, and can be made into jelly, said to taste similar to apple jelly, or wine. The seed within is hard enough to crack a tooth, so be careful processing or eating them. Online References:
Hort.ifas.ufl.edu (PDF) Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers Polygonum uvifera L.
Coccoloba uvifera description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. |
Range: Zones 10-11:
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