Avicennia germinans
Evergreen coastal mangrove tree with pneumatophores for gas exchange, salt-excreting leaves, and viviparous seeds that germinate on the tree and float to colonize coastal habitats, stabilizing shorelines, trapping sediment, and providing nursery habitat for crustaceans and fish.
Common Names
Black Mangrove
Summary
Black Mangrove is a coastal evergreen shrub or small tree native to tropical and subtropical coasts of the Americas and parts of Africa. It has a dense rounded crown, thick leathery dark green leaves that excrete salt (salt crystals may form on leaf surfaces), dark gray to brown bark, and pneumatophores rising above mud to aid breathing. Small white flowers with yellow centers occur year-round, and fruits are large flattened capsules that germinate on the tree.
It tolerates waterlogged soils and salt in air and soil, helps stabilize sediments and shorelines, and grows best in full sun with consistently moist, well-drained soils and brackish to saline water, while being frost sensitive. Propagation is by seed or cuttings, with seeds desiccating easily and germinating within weeks; fresh water favors new seedlings, and natural regeneration is abundant. Uses include erosion control and bank stabilization, wildlife habitat, nectar for insects with high-quality mangrove honey, wood for posts and charcoal, and historical salt from leaves.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
33-49 ft
Spread
10-30 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 9-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; can adapt to partial shade.
Soil Type
Loamy, consistently wet or waterlogged soil
Soil Drainage
Waterlogged (poorly drained) soils
Soil pH
6.5–7.0 (ideal), tolerates 6–7.5, 5.3–7.8
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Year-round, with a peak in spring and early summer.
Foliage Color
Dark green with grayish underside.
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
60 cm per year
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Layering
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators, Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl., ed. 3. 2: 891 (1764)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Genus
- Avicennia
Synonyms
Avicennia elliptica Avicennia elliptica var. martii Avicennia floridana Avicennia floridana Avicennia germinans f. aberrans Avicennia germinans var. cumanensis Avicennia germinans var. guayaquilensis Avicennia germinans f. venezuelensis Avicennia lamarckiana Avicennia meyeri Avicennia nitida Avicennia nitida Avicennia nitida var. trinitensis Avicennia oblongifolia Avicennia officinalis var. lanceolata Avicennia tomentosa Avicennia tomentosa var. campechensis Avicennia tomentosa var. cumanensis Avicennia tomentosa var. guayaquilensis Bontia germinans Bontia germinans Hilairanthus nitidus Hilairanthus tomentosus Avicennia germinans var. germinans Hilairanthus germinans Avicennia africana Avicennia germinans f. brasiliensis Avicennia officinalis var. nitida