Click on image for full screen view. | Black Mangrove, Mangle
Blanco, White Mangrove| Avicennia germinans (A. nitida) Black
mangrove is a tropical plant that grows along the coast from
Texas south to Brazil and Equador. In Texas it grows near the
mouth of the Rio Grande, along the Laguna Madre, and in salty,
sandy or clay tidal flats and lagoons along the Coastal Prairies
and Marshes of south Texas. In warmer climates it forms a tree,
but in Texas freezes kill the top growth every so often, so that
it rarely grows more than 3 feet tall. Its leaves are evergreen,
thick and leathery. Masses of small air roots sometimes hang
from the larger branches. Mangrove is unique among our shrubs in
being able to tolerate salty, brackish, flooded conditions, as
well as disease and insects. It can also grow in fresh water,
and can be used to stabilize the banks of rivers and lakes.
Existing mangrove swamps are unique habitats that protect many
aquatic and semi-aquatic creatures and ocean coasts from
erosion. Plant Habit or