Rhizophora mucronata, commonly known as the loop-root mangrove or red mangrove, is a tropical evergreen tree native to mangrove forests along coastlines and estuaries in East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific region. It can grow up to 82 feet tall and is characterized by its extensive aerial stilt roots which provide support in the soft, muddy substrate. The leaves are elliptical, glossy green with distinctive corky warts on the underside, which are part of the plant’s adaptation to its saline environment. The cream-colored flowers are small and inconspicuous, but they give way to viviparous seeds, which are seeds that germinate while still attached to the parent tree and then drop to root in the mud below.

Rhizophora mucronata is valued for its role in coastal protection, soil stabilization, and as habitat for a variety of marine life. It is also used for timber, tannin extraction, and in traditional medicine. In cultivation, it requires full sun, brackish to saline water, and muddy, anaerobic soils that mimic its natural estuarine conditions. While it is an important species for mangrove reforestation projects, it is potentially invasive outside its native range, and its introduction should be carefully considered and monitored.CC BY-SA 4.0