They are easily differentiated from other mangroves by succulent leaves which are rounded at the base and tip and smooth underneath. Two glands at the base of each leaf excrete sugar and are called nectaries. Some insects feed on the sugar. The fruit is small, dry, leathery and ribbed. It contains a dark red seed, and is buoyant allowing it to float to new growing sites.
Most plants have neither.
It is fast growing in fertile habitats. Its flowers are greenish-white and produce good honey. This mangrove is in the same family as the white mangrove but is often considered only an associate of mangroves. It grows along the coast from Cedar Key and Brevard County southward. It is shrubby along the shore, but takes on a tree form further inland.