Mangroves

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Mangroves are a group of plants that have a shared common name that has more to do with where and how they grow than with their family or genus relationships. Mangroves are shrubs or trees that can grow in salt water, and have developed particular characteristics that help them deal with the saline environment.
The four mangroves that occur in Florida are listed here in the order of their preferred habitat, from wettest(lowest) to driest(highest).

Rhizophora mangle - red mangrove
Avicennia germinans - black mangrove
Laguncularia racemosa - white mangrove
Conocarpus erectus - buttonwood
Note the composite images that shows the flowers, leaves or fruit of each of the four Florida mangroves. For more about these interesting and important plants, see the mangrove post on the Paul Rebmann Nature Photography blog.