FNPS Plant Database
Laguncularia racemosa
Nomenclature
Common Name:
Synonym(s):
Genus species:
Family:
Combretaceae
Plant Specifics
Form:
Size:
Life Span:
Long-lived perennial
Flower Color:
Fruit Color:
Phenology:
Noted For:
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Considerations:
Availability:
Propagation:
Light:
Moisture Tolerance:
Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry
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Aquatic -to- Stays wet
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Unknown
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.
Soil or Other Substrate:
Soil pH:
Suitable to Grow In:
9A,9B,10A,10B,11
USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.
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Vouchered In:
Ecology
Wildlife:
Attracts bees, wasps, flies and butterflies (Landry 2013).
Native Habitats:
Comments:
Ethnobotany:
General Comments:
It's called "white mangrove" because it exudes extra salt through special glands which makes the leaves appear white.
The word "mangrove" refers to all types of trees that have adapted to living in the sea. Worldwide, there are 23 genera from eight different families that have species that are described as mangroves.
Citations:
Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+). White mangrove. Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Lagurace ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.
Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.
Landry, C. L. (2013). Pollinator-mediated competition between two co-flowering Neotropical mangrove species, Avicennia germinans (Avicenniaceae) and Laguncularia racemosa (Combretaceae). Annals of botany, 111(2), 207–214. ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3555529/
). Accessed 2026.
Landry, C. L. (2013). Changes in pollinator assemblages following hurricanes affect the mating system of Laguncularia racemosa (Combretaceae) in Florida, USA. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 29(3), 209–216. (a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467413000266" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467413000266). Accessed 2026.
Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.
