Description

Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera)

This evergreen shrub or tree is easy to care for and produces a fruit which most locals tend to enjoy.  This plant tolerates a variety of soil conditions, including salinity, and established plants are drought tolerant.  The fruit is eaten raw and can also be made into jams, jellies, juice, added to soups and more.  It is a juicy, sub-acid fruit with a mellow, sweet and succulent flavour.  

Medicinally, the juice is used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery.  A decoction of the bark is used to treat intestinal disorders.

Fun Fact:  A red astringent substance is extracted from the bark and used in tanning and dyeing.