Woody > Rhizophora > Rhizophora mangle > Rhizophora mangle
Rhizophora mangle
Origin: Primarily in South America, Central America, Caribbean Islands, West Africa, United States of America and areas of Australia where it was introduced.
| Family |
| Rhizophoraceae |
| Genus |
| Rhizophora |
| Species |
| mangle |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 13b |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1a |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 20 - 30 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 68 - 86 |
| Height |
| 10 - 20 m |
| Spread |
| 7 - 14 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Cultivation |
| Grows well in humidity, partial to full sun in sandy/silt loam. |
| Shape |
| Fairly tall but contorted with many adventitious prop roots shooting out the base with a highly elevated canopy. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Coastlines and rivers. |
| Pests |
| Spotted mangrove crab (Goniopsis cruentata), the mangrove land crab (Ucides cordatus), the coffee bean snail (Melampus coffea) and the ladder horn snail (Cerithidea scalariformis). |
| Habitat |
| Ocean coastlines and river inlets. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Bark is usually a smooth grey-to-tan brown colour when younger, thickening as it gets older developing ridges instead of smoothness |
| Leaf Description |
| Grows in clusters at the end of branches. |
| Flower Description |
| Small and inconspicuous. Develops compound inflorescence, the flowers arise from the axil. |
| Fruit Description |
| Tube-like fruits of 3 - 5 cm in size, where a propagule will vertically grow out and fall. |
| Colour Description |
| Bright green canopy, tree and trunk vary slightly between a tanish-beige to dark brown. Its flowers are white with yellow petals. The fruit is brown and as it ripens turns green in colour with a brown tip. |
| Texture Description |
| Smooth but as it ages becomes more rigid as the bark starts to thicken and strengthen. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Used for making boats and creating charcoal. A resin can be extracted and used in treating stomach ulcers. |
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