As we travel farther away from the beach, the sound of the crashing waves grows more distant. Above the foredune region is the dune crest. Here, the sand that makes up the dune is more stable than that of the foredune. The most conspicuous vegetation here is short saw palmetto scrub. Also present on the dune crest, mixed in with the saw palmetto, is sea grape.
Sea grape has a very distinctive, large round leaf that looks a lot like a table tennis paddle.
During much of the year, sea grapes also bear fruit that looks somewhat like the grapes you buy at the grocery store. These grapes are also edible, and sea grape jelly can still be found at gift shops in the region. Another flower common to this vegetation zone is the sea ox-eye daisy. These plants usually grow as short shrubs, with fleshy leaves and yellow flowers.