This impressive Caribbean tree is the Grand Leaf Sea Grape, Coccoloba pubescens. It belongs to the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae, along with sorrel and rhubarb. It is native to several islands of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and parts of the Lesser Antilles.

Its most remarkable feature is immediately obvious: the enormous leaves. They are broad, rounded and sometimes almost circular, with strong veins spreading outward from the point where the leaf stalk joins the blade.

On a mature tree, many leaves may be more than a foot across, while exceptionally large ones can become much larger. Their size has inspired other common names, including Eve’s Umbrella and Elephant Ear.

The upper surface is usually bright green, while the underside is paler and may have fine hairs, especially on younger leaves. The species name pubescens refers to that soft hairiness.

Because the leaves are so large, they catch the wind easily. Strong winds may tear or bend them, but the broad blades also allow the tree to gather a great deal of sunlight in shaded or forested conditions.

The flowers are small and greenish-white. They grow along long, upright spikes that rise above or among the foliage. The individual flowers are easy to overlook, especially beside such enormous leaves.

After flowering, the tree produces rounded fruits along the same elongated stalks. Like other members of the genus Coccoloba, the true fruit is surrounded by fleshy floral tissue. The fruits may become reddish or purple as they mature and can attract birds and other wildlife.

Despite the name “Sea Grape,” this species is not the familiar beach Sea Grape, Coccoloba uvifera. Grand Leaf Sea Grape generally grows as a forest or woodland tree and is best distinguished by its much larger leaves.

The tree can grow to considerable size, developing an open crown and spreading branches. From a distance it may appear rather ordinary, but once we stand beneath it, the scale of the leaves changes our impression completely.

Grand Leaf Sea Grape is a wonderful example of how a single exaggerated feature can define a species. Its flowers are modest and its fruits relatively small, but its enormous round leaves make it one of the most memorable trees in a Caribbean garden.