Malvaceae

Heritiera littoralis

Looking-glass mangrove

Small/Medium Tree

Common species

Size

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About

An evergreen tree reaching up to 25m, notable for its prominent buttress roots. Its spirally arranged leaves are dark green above and distinctively silvery-white to light brown underneath due to dense scales. It produces bell-shaped, greenish-pink flowers and woody, boat-shaped, keeled fruits containing a single seed.

Where it works in Kilifi

Ideal for Kilifi-coast gardens in full sun, especially in consistently wet, loamy soil mimicking its natural mangrove edge habitat where freshwater mixes with seawater. It serves well as a specimen tree or for coastal restoration, requiring ample space for its developing buttress roots.

Growing notes

This is a slow-growing tree that needs regular watering to keep its soil consistently wet once established. It is relatively hardy, but thrives with consistent moisture and good drainage. Be aware that mature trees produce numerous buoyant seeds which can become a nuisance.

Sources

Researched with web grounding from: wikipedia.org, nmns.edu.tw, instituteofayurveda.org, union.edu, earthone.io, prota4u.org. Please verify with local knowledge before relying on these notes.