Search Fact Sheets Virginia Tech Dendrology

seagrape Polygonaceae Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet symbol: COUV
Leaf: Alternate, simple, circular with a heart-shaped base, leathery and persistent, 5 to 11 inches long, dark green with a red or nearly yellow mid-vein, fuzzy below.
Flower: Not showy, borne on a narrow stalk, 10 to 12 inches long, appearing nearly any time of year.
Fruit: Round or egg-shaped, each about 1 inch long, initially pale green and turning pinkish when ripe, occurring on long, hanging clusters.
Twig: Stout, orangish brown.
Bark: Thin, smooth, light brown or gray, blotchy with orange patches.
Form: Small sprawling shrub near the coast but becomes a larger tree up to 50 feet tall farther inland.

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Additional Range Information: Coccoloba uvifera is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information