Yellow Mangrove

~ Ceriops australis ~

RHIZOPHORACEAE

These plants have been a regular character throughout my whole life, providing a curious childhood wonderland and a backdrop during the many years I’ve spent fishing the local islands and estuaries of South-East Queensland. Although the Yellow Mangrove has quite an inconspicuous flower, I wanted to highlight it here for the important role it plays in our waterways and for marine life. Mangroves are extremely valuable for coastal stabilisation and for creating marine nursery habitat, providing a protective environment for fish to grow up in. Mangrove habitats are crucial ecosystems and ones we need to take care of, as they filter polluted run-off and create a protective border between land and sea, shielding us from large tides and tsunami waves. They also sequester huge amounts of greenhouse gases, inhaling our constant exhale of carbon dioxide. Those spikes we tend to trip over on our beach excursions are aerial roots (pneumatophores), also called breathing roots, which take oxygen and other substances down through the thick mud to the cable roots of the plant.

WHERE TO LOOK

Mangroves can be found bordering almost any estuarine habitat and coastal strip along the Queensland coast.

FEATURES

The Mangrove is a shrub or small tree growing up to 10m, featuring glossy yellow-green leaves 6cm long by 3cm wide. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of two to ten yellowish-green to orange-red flowers, which are 50mm tall with creamy petals that brown with age. The fruit is a pear-shaped drupe emerging from a pollinated flower. These then grow what’s called a propagule, which is essentially a seedling growing while still on the parent tree. They grow up to 15cm before dropping off and floating to find their own plot of fine mud. This process of plant growth is called vivipary.

FLOWERING SEASON

Spring and summer → Flowering occurs between September and December with fruit forming in December and January.

TRADITIONAL USES

Mangrove trees have been harvested for wood by many First Nation communities. The elbow- and knee-shaped branches have been used in making boomerangs.

PLANTING

These plants can be taken into your own home if you create a similar setup to their natural environment, using gravel, sand, soil and salt water in a large container.