Although living in tropical areas, some species of the genus Avicennia can tolerate freezing air temperatures for up to 12 hours. Avicennia species found in tropical coastal wetlands include the black mangrove (A. germinans), which can grow up to 49 feet in tropical areas, and is found in Texas and Florida, Georgia and southern Louisiana; and the grey mangrove (A. marina), reaching up to 46 feet, and inhabiting coastal areas of Southwest Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
The Laguncularia genus has 10 species, including the common white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), which is found in tropical Atlantic and Pacific coastal wetlands of the Americas, as well as in western Africa. Despite its name, the white mangrove tree has a gray to brown bark and special leaf glands to exude salt. It can grow up to 59 feet tall.
Also known as the red mangrove, trees of the genus Rhizophora are also found in the same habitats of Laguncularia and Avicennia trees. The genus features prop roots coming out from the trunk that gives extra support to the tree and help the leaves to capture oxygen. Rhizophora trees have thick brownish barks, grow in average 20 feet and produce yellow flowers.
The mangrove apple tree or Sonneratia is found in Africa, Australia and Asia. It produces fragrant white flowers, and its main pollinators are bats. The ripe fruit is used as a traditional food in some areas of Africa and Asia. The genus Lumnitzera, also found in Australia, Asia and Africa, contains two species: L. racemosa and L. littorea, which have respectively white and red flowers.