For a non-Floridian, I have become awfully fond of the sea
grape. In various places around the state, I collected sea grape leaves again
this year. Actually, I have never seen
the sea grapes, only the leaves—but I
sure like those! The grapes form in the autumn and the birds eat them, and the
leaves fall off whenever. There are always new ones forming. I look forward to
putting my new collection of scavenged leaves to work on my clay when we get
back to the hills of West Virginia later this week.
I met sea grape bushes a year ago, and they hold all the
same charms for me now. I love their colors, shape, simplicity, sturdiness, and
sheer abundance. Rare is the Florida garden that includes them, although they
are sometimes planted as hedges. The Botanical Gardens in Naples are a lovely
exception to the apparent horticultural “no wild sea grapes”
bias. Those are not only exquisite gardens (perhaps my all-time favorite, which
is saying a lot), but they include a natural area of beach-dwelling plants.
That exhibit beautifully embraces the lowly sea grape in both shrub and tree
sizes-- my kind of place! I will keep this short and say it with pictures.
