Light. Plant it in full sun.
Water. Keep a young plant well watered until established. After that it is very drought tolerant.
Soil and feeding. It wants sandy, well-drained soil and handles alkaline soil. It tolerates salt spray and salty soil.
Size. Grows 20 ft or more; left unpruned it can reach 35–50 ft. It can also be kept as a hedge.
Pruning. Prune by hand; the big leaves look ragged after shearing. Train trees 2–3 times in the first 10 years so trunks are well attached.
Problems to watch. The seagrape borer kills twigs and branches. A gall raises red bumps on the leaves. Fallen leaves are slow to break down.
Good to know. A Florida native that can be damaged by frost. Only female plants bear the edible grapes, so a male nearby helps.
Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS ENH334/ST175: Coccoloba uvifera: Seagrape · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Seagrape
