# Red mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata)

> The tall stilt-rooted mangrove of East African and Indo-Pacific shorelines, growing to 27 m with a trunk up to 70 cm, arching prop roots and long pencil-like propagules that drop and plant themselves in the mud. It fringes tidal creeks and estuaries, buffers coasts against storms and erosion, nurses fish and stores large amounts of carbon. It is the main species in community mangrove restoration such as Kenya's Mikoko Pamoja carbon project, and is cut for poles, charcoal and tannin.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/rhizophora-mucronata · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Loop-root mangrove, Asiatic mangrove, Mkoko
- Family: Rhizophoraceae
- Type: Broadleaf evergreen
- Mature height: 20 m; spread 10 m
- Growth: Slow growing
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Needs steady water
- Soil: Deep soft tidal mud rich in humus; daily flooding by sea water
- Native range: Native to tropical coasts of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and South Africa through the Red Sea, Arabia, India and Sri Lanka to South-East Asia, New Guinea and northern Australia.

**Benefits:** Holds soil, Salt tolerant, Flood tolerant, Stores carbon well, Wildlife, Birds, Storm resistant

**Good for:** Streambanks, Reforestation

**Watch out for:** No major cautions

## Care

Plant propagules directly into mud in the right tidal zone (flooded by normal high tides) and expect slow growth; 35 to 40 years to a 19 cm trunk. Crabs eat seedlings, so shade-dry propagules for a few days before planting. Most countries protect mangroves by law; check permits before cutting or planting. No pruning or watering needed.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** NT, Australia; QLD, Australia; Indonesia; India; Kenya (Gazi Bay (Mikoko Pamoja) and the Lamu archipelago); Sri Lanka; Madagascar; Mozambique; Tanzania; South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal)

## Sources

- https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb2/speciesprofile.php?Spid=18093
- https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Rhizophora_mucronata.PDF
- https://www.gbif.org/species/207664687