What Is the Species Name of the Black Mangrove Tree?

Location

• The black mangrove is an evergreen tree that prefers full sun and does not tolerate temperature below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. It tolerates salt, brackish or freshwater, and is the second tallest of all mangrove trees reaching heights up to 50 feet. It can be found growing in waters between red mangroves, which grow further offshore in deeper water, and white mangroves, which prefer a higher elevation inland in shallower water.

Key Identifiers

• A key identifier of the black mangrove is its pneumatophores which look like vertical branches rising from the water. They are actually roots that help the tree breathe when it is inundated with water at high tide by protruding up out of the water. They also cycle saltwater through the plant and exude it out of the leaves, forming salt crystals on them, another identifier of the species. The more oxygen deprived the sediment, the more pneumatophores form on the tree. One species of butterfly larvae feeds on its salty leaves.

Food and Shelter

• The black mangrove is prized by humans and wildlife alike. Mangrove honey is highly sought after by humans, shorebirds use its branches for nesting, and shellfish and crustaceans can be seen raising their young among its roots. Its twisted mat of roots buffer the shoreline from erosion during strong storms and provide habitat for a variety of wildlife. Several marine fish feed on invertebrates living among the maze of roots. Healthy mangroves are an important link in commercial and recreational fishing; without them these multimillion dollar industries would decline, impacting local economies, which is why they are heavily protected in some states.

Reproduction

• Black mangrove has white flowers throughout the summer and produces propagules in the shape of a lima bean, on the branches of the tree, from late summer to early fall. These propagules are much easier to propagate then to grow the tree from seed. In its natural habitat the propagule will fall from the tree, drift on the water for a period of time, then wash onto the shoreline above the waterline. If it lands in an ideal environment, it will germinate and sprout roots in about seven days. Since black mangroves are suited to environments that have constant and/or harsh wave action, their roots will hold them in place as they grow from seedlings into mature trees.