Sea grape
Coccoloba uvifera
Salt-tough coastal tree with grape-like clusters for jelly.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 25 ft tall, 20 ft wide
Harvest: August to September
From: Florida and the Caribbean
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, wildlife.
Native to: Southeast, Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean. Hardy in zones 10 to 11.
The story
Sea grape has fed Caribbean and Florida coasts since the Taíno and Calusa, who ate the fruit and used the leaves as plates; the Spanish made wine and jelly from it. It holds dunes together and takes salt spray that kills everything else.
Planting
Full sun, sand, salt, wind; it is a beach plant. Plant a female with a male nearby for fruit, or buy a known female; it takes light frost only.
Growing
Water the first year; after that it is drought-proof. Prune to a tree or let it sprawl as a hedge. The round leaves turn red in age.
Harvest and use
Clusters ripen purple in late summer; pick when fully coloured and soft. Tart-sweet; jelly and wine are the classic uses.
What to watch for
Cold below about 30°F; otherwise almost nothing.
See if Sea grape fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home