Within the urban landscape of canals and seawalls, it is common to find small fringes of mangroves that continue to provide habitat and refuge for native fauna. These areas are important for shoreline stabilization and may filter nutrients from upland sources and maintain water quality. For these reasons, mangrove areas of varying locations and sizes are protected and conserved. DPEP regulates and enforces protection of mangroves throughout the county in order to ensure that mangroves continue to remain an asset for the future. A medium sized tree typically found in tidal areas or offshore islands.
Leaves are elliptical and leathery with a shiny deep green color above and pale underneath.
The seeds germinate while still attached on the tree and the pencil-shaped propagules can be up to 10 inches long. The most noticeable feature of red mangroves is the interlocking network of prop-roots that arise from the trunk and branches to shallowly penetrate the soil. The tree bears yellow flowers all year round but predominantly so in spring and summer. A medium sized tree with oblong leaves often encrusted with salt. The leaves tend to be light grey to whitish on the underside.