Red mangrove
Rhizophora mangle · Rhizophoraceae · also American mangrove, Mangle rojo, Mangue-vermelho
The seaward mangrove of the Americas, a tree of 5 to 20 m standing on arching red prop roots in the water, with leathery leaves and cigar-shaped propagules that drop and float to new mud. Red mangroves protect coasts from storms, nurse fish and shellfish, trap sediment and lock away carbon, and are the mainstay of mangrove restoration from Florida and Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean. Introduced to Molokaʻi in 1902 to stabilise mudflats, it is now a High Risk invader of Hawaiian wetlands.
Where it stands
Native
This tree evolved here, and local wildlife depends on it.
Adapted
Introduced, but it handles this climate and has not shown a habit of spreading.
- 🇺🇸 TX, United States · Introduced per WCVPsource
Care
Plant propagules into the lowest intertidal mud in full sun during the warm season; nothing else is needed, but survival depends on getting the tidal level right. Growth is slow. Sub-freezing temperatures kill it, limiting it to below about 28 degrees latitude. Mangroves are protected by law in Florida and most countries; check permits before trimming or planting. Do not plant in Hawaii or other places where it is not native.
Benefits
Good for