Recognising Trees of the Mangroves

Mangrove species live in a unique ecosystem and have evolved with special adaptations to deal with stressful coastal conditions such as the waves and waterlogged soil with low oxygen and high salt content. These include specialised roots to breathe and anchor themselves, or even with membranes to prevent salt from entering.

Get to know some of the interesting trees growing in our mangroves here:

Bakau Pasir

Rhizophora stylosa_Jennie Tang Rhizophora stylosa_Pauline Tay

Photo: Jennie Tang Yurue and Pauline Tay

The Bakau Pasir (Rhizophora stylosa) is one of the pioneering species in coastal environments and can be found in tidal habitats or landward margins of mangroves on mud, sand, coarse grit, and rock.

It has prop roots measuring up to 3 m long that support the trunk. These extensive roots also help to disperse the energy from strong tidal waves, thus shielding the shoreline and surrounding areas.

River Mangrove

Aegiceras corniculatum_JWH Yong (2)

Photo credit: JWH Yong

The River Mangrove (Aegiceras corniculatum) is also known as Kacang Kacang, which means beans in Malay due to its fruits that resemble bean pods. It thrives in sandy and compact mud at the landward side of mangroves.

Its unique adaptations are its roots running along the soil surface, as well as lenticels (breathing pores) on its bark that allow for gaseous exchange between the tree and the surrounding atmosphere.

Teruntum Merah

Lumnitzera littorea _Ang Wee Foong Lumnitzera littorea_Pauline Tay Photo credit: Ang Wee Fong and Pauline Tay

The Teruntum Merah (Lumnitzera littorea) is a small native tree found mostly at back mangrove forests. Its fragrant red flowers produce copious amounts of nectar that attract birds and insects.

Instead of buttress roots, it has pneumatophores which are aerial roots that grow upwards out from the water surface to obtain oxygen from the air.

White Teruntum

Lumnitzera racemosa_Ang Wee Foong (1) Lumnitzera racemosa Ang Wee Foong (3)

Photo credit: Ang Wee Foong

The White Teruntum (Lumnitzera racemosa) is also known as Teruntum Bunga Putih. It may look similar to its sister tree, the Teruntum Merah (Lumnitzera littorea), only that it has white flowers instead of red. These are lightly fragrant with lots of nectar that attract insects such as moths.

The native White Teruntum tolerates brackish or fresh water and can thrive on rocky, muddy, or sandy coasts in mangrove forests. Like the Teruntum Merah, it also has pneumatophores which are upright breathing roots.

Eye of the Crocodile

3 Bruguiera hainesii_ flower_ Koh Kwan Siong 2 Bruguiera hainesii_ root_ Chua Jit Chern

Photo credit: Koh Kwan Siong

With an estimated 200 individuals in the wild, the Eye of the Crocodile (Bruguiera hainesii) is critically endangered in Singapore and also one of the rarest mangrove species the world. It grows on the relatively dry landward margins of mangroves, where it is flooded for only a few hours a day.

It is called Berus Mata Buaya in Malay and this interesting name is derived from the lenticels on its trunk that resemble crocodile eyes. They help the tree to take in oxygen in its muddy mangrove environment.

Role of Mangroves

A mangrove forest is an inter-tidal area, a buffer between the land and the sea. Look closely around the mangroves at low tide and you can spot many small fishes and crustaceans. The mangrove swamp is, in effect, a nursery for many species of crabs, prawns and fishes that spend their early life there, in relative safety from predators of the sea. Their roots provide hiding places for young fishes and shrimps and their branches provide shelter and nesting areas for birds, such as herons.

In addition, mangrove habitats are important to the marine environment. The roots of mangrove plants trap sediments and prevent mud and sand from being washed away, stabilising the coastline and preventing erosion from waves and storms. Mangroves also physically protect coastlines by breaking the sea waves during storm surges and help shield seagrass beds and coral reefs from the effects of siltation.

Mangroves also have real economic value to mankind. They give us our charcoal, gula melaka, attap chee and material to build for kampong houses. Some are even used to produce medicines.

Most importantly, mangroves help mitigate climate change, as they can store three to five times as much carbon as other types of tropical forests! Singapore’s mangroves store about 11 per cent of the carbon in all of Singapore's forests. By actively taking in carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming) from the atmosphere, mangroves form one nature-based solution that can contribute towards Singapore’s climate resilience.

Mangroves Magic

Mangroves are the only plants in the world to germinate while attached to the parent plant. The germinated seeds, called propagules, are able to produce their own food. Thus, they are able to survive extreme conditions for a long time by being dormant. These propagules drip off from their parent tree and into the swamp when they are big enough or ready to survive on their own.

Despite our small size, Singapore is home to more than 30 species of mangrove vegetation. You can find several of these species in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. The Reserve is open from 7 am to 7 pm daily. Entering or remaining in the Reserve after 7 pm is not allowed.

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Recognising Trees of the Mangroves

National Parks Board