| I?m building a new home near the beach in south-central Florida and want to plant a border of sea grape. I would like to know how fast it grows and what I could do to help it along. Any other information you can give me on the sea grape would be appreciated. |
| Gary, Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera) is a very salt tolerant shrub for south Florida that can in time reach a height of about 15-25 feet. It is a very tough plant, but like any new plant, some supplemental water will help it get through the first year or two and well-established enough to get by on its own. Moderate amounts of fertilizer will also help speed it along. Sea grape flowers, though inconspicuous, provide nectar for Fulvous Hairstreak butterflies. The fruit is a food source for robins, catbirds, mockingbirds, white-crowned pigeons, woodpeckers, and several species of wildlife including raccoons, Mexican red-bellied squirrels, and turtles. Thanks for the question. Please feel free to stop in again with another question any time we can help! |
