Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

Sea Grape

Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera) is a species of flowering plants in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. This evergreen, tropical tree is native to coastal beaches throughout the island of Barbados and can be seen along such coastlines as the East Coast of the island.

Besides the Coccoloba uvifera species, there are three (3) other species in the Barbados flora.

Characteristics

The sea grape tree is wind resistant and highly tolerant of salt conditions. For this reason, many are seen planted along the beach edges in Barbados as they also aid in adding stability to these very beach edges.

The male and female plants can be distinguished by the appearance of their flowers with the males showing dead flower stalks.

The sea grape has large, round, leathery, saucer-sized leaves with a primary vein that has a red color extending from the base. The complete leaf turns red and drops off as the tree ages while the fruit goes red then purple once it matures. The seed of the fruit is quite large and as a result takes up a big part of the fruit. The fruits tend to hang down in large grape-like clusters. The fruit is quite palatable with a sweetish acid taste and is often time seen eaten directly from the tree by those who pass by on the beach. Along with being eaten raw, the fruit is also made into a jam, jelly or fermented into wine.

The flowers of the Sea Grape are small, white and fragrant.

Medicinal Value of the Sea Grape

At one point in time in Barbados, the Sea Grape leaf was shaped into a cone to wrap Sea Egg.