Sea Grape Bushes

Sea grapes (Coccoloba uvifera) are sprawling evergreen shrubs that grow on sandy beaches in Mediterranean and tropical climates. Thriving in the heat and humidity of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b and 11, sea grape shrubs spread widely on salty ocean shores but they also grow as trees in yards. You can eat the fruits raw or use them to make wines, jams and preserves. The plants are drought-tolerant and prefer partial shade to full sun.


Sea grape bushes have light brown, thin bark and thick, round leaves that spread 8 to 10 inches apart. Young foliage is reddish-bronze with a leathery texture. Leaves, with red or off-white veins, turn dark green at maturity and rust-like before falling. Bushes and trees produce small white, scented flowers in spring or early summer. Light green fruit clusters hang from young leaves but the grapes become reddish-purple when ripe. Each grape is usually less than 1 inch wide.


You can easily grow sea grapes from seed, but female trees require nearby male pollinators to produce fruit. Fruit production may not occur on its own until trees are 4 to 8 years old, notes the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. However, seedlings grafted by hand on rootstocks or cuttings may speed up the process -- allowing for grape crops within the tree’s second season. Although exposure to prolonged temperatures under 32 degrees Fahrenheit may damage young trees, older ones can handle short periods at 22 F. Sea grape bushes and trees prefer sandy, well-draining soil and are tolerant of sea air. Landscape trees may grow to 35 feet tall.


Sea grapes are somewhat pear-shaped. They have tangy and sweet pulp -- each one surrounds a single seed. The skins are reddish to dark purple when the fruits are ripe. Sea grapes usually mature in summer but ripening is sometimes delayed until fall if spring flowers arrive late. Fruits ripen unevenly in separate racemes. Large trees may produce several thousand individual grapes per season.


The trees should be well-spaced to allow room for spreading roots and canopies. Sea grape trees are drought-tolerant when established, but regular watering will help them flower and fruit. Fertilizing shrubs and trees with a 6-6-6 or 8-8-8 fertilizer two or three times yearly -- less frequently if plants are established in more fertile soil -- will help them grow. Sea grape trees must be pruned sparingly to remove dead branches and damaged wood but more often if they are planted in a hedgerow. Insect infestation and diseases are minimal problems for sea grapes, but leaves do attract fungi. Birds and other wildlife enjoy the tree’s ripe fruit.