Sea grape/ coccoloba uvifera

[Altrexy]

Has anyone grown seagrapes? My mom told me they used to grow all along the coast of cuba and that they were incredibly strong and delicious. My mom is very difficult to impress. Also is there any named cultivars? I’ve seen them growing all over FL but never seen a ripe fruit in person.

[nullzero]

Seagrape season is starting now into November. I would check around locally to see if you can find some ripe fruit.

[Galatians522]

I had some in the Keys in September several years back. They were right on the water and had a little salt spray dried onthe fruits. They reminded me of some kind of BBQ sauce. Sweet, savory, a little acid and fairly potent.

[drymifolia]

I grew up on a boat near Miami and ate them all the time on the spoil islands near Coconut Grove and other local beaches. Flavor and amount of flesh varies a lot from tree to tree and year to year, but when they are juicy and ripe they can be quite good. Knew an old lady who would make a really nice jelly with them, but don't know what the process was. The large pit means you have to eat a lot if you're trying to satiate hunger eating them out of hand. Here's the UF/IFAS guide:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST175

I remember there being some really nice tasting ones in Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne, that might be a good starting point to find fruit.

[Jamesther]

There is a mushroom that grows with the sea grapes.
  https://www.mushroomexpert.com/cantharellus_coccolobae.html

[Jaboticaba45]

Some taste pretty good, others decent.
I find them really pretty plants and are an easy way to tell where in FL you are.
Also, there's a variegated one too.
I don't grow them cause of space issues, but it is a beautiful plant.

[MadFarm]

We grew them on the side of the Palmetto in Hialeah in the 90s lol.

[johnb51]

It's one tree that says "South Florida coast."  The pre-conquest indigenous people derived a lot of nutritional value from them.  You can't live on seafood and wild game alone.  I didn't know they grew along the Cuban coast, too.  That's pretty cool.  I've tasted them, but never had any I'd call great.
If you've seen them growing all over FL but never seen a ripe fruit, I gotta think you haven't been looking too closely.

[drymifolia]

The pre-conquest indigenous people derived a lot of nutritional value from them.

And likely selected improved cultivars in areas near population centers, which could explain some of the pockets of better-quality fruit. The Key Biscayne ones were definitely better than the Coconut Grove ones, IMO.

[Fygee]

At first I thought this was the edible latok algae also called "seagrapes".

I was like...wait...people here grow this too? Lol.