White Mangrove

Laguncularia racemosa

Native to:
Angola, Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Gabon, Galápagos, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Liberia, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panamá, Peru, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southwest Caribbean, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Turks-Caicos Is., United States, Venezuelan Antilles, Virgin Islands, Windward Is.

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Combretaceae
Genus:
Laguncularia
Species:
Laguncularia racemosa
USDA Symbol:
LARA2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Shrub , Tree
Height:
1500 cm
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
may,jun,jul,aug,sep
Bloom Colors:
white, cream

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:
★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Anacampsis lagunculariella, Nola apera, Nola lagunculariae, Sarasota plumigerella

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
birds, fish, crustaceans, nesting habitat
Deer Resistant:
Yes
Salt Tolerant:
Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
saline, waterlogged, clay or sandy
pH:
6.0 - 8.0 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
commonly found in mangrove ecosystems

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
None required
Germination Time:
8–30 days
Notes:
Viviparous propagules germinate readily when placed in brackish water or wet saline substrate. Fresh propagules have highest viability.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI