Red Mangroves

January 15,16 & 17, 2009

We spent three days with friends at Collier Seminole State Park on the western side of Everglades National Park near Marco Island which puts it about 20-miles south of Naples.

Collier Seminole State Park Campground features paved interior roads with 30-amps and water at each site with a central dump station. If you are planning to visit during the winter months you will need to make reservations as winter is their busy season.

Red Mangrove Seed & Bloom in Collier Seminole State Park, southwest Florida

These are red mangrove blooms and seed pods. The dainty blooms are pale yellow as you can see. Joyce took this picture in Collier Seminole State Park.

Red Mangrove seeds Collier Seminole State Park

Red Mangroves trees are viviparous, meaning the seeds mature while they are still on the tree. Only after germinating while still attached to the parent plant do they fall in to the water. This is unique among plants.

You can see the seeds sprouting in this picture.

For this germinating seed to become a surviving plant, it needs to spend about a month in the water. During this month, the seed collects the water in its lower portion and floats vertically, with the bud facing skyward, and roots facing down.

These seeds can float in salt water for months until they are washed onto the shore or shallow water. One of the conditions needed for the seed to start growing, is absence of disturbances. This is the way nature makes sure that the plant will grow in good conditions. The young plant needs to have absence of disturbance in order to sink a root and take hold on the earth. The seed/young plant will spend a year securing itself in the soil before becoming a young tree.

Red mangrove seeds Collier Seminole State Park

You are looking at the viviparous seeds of a red mangrove. Unlike other plants red mangrove seeds germinate while still attached to the parent plant as you can see in this picture.

After the germinated seed falls off the parent plant it still needs to float around in salt water for around a month before it is ready to find a place to "settle" for life.

Delicate yellow bloom of the Red Mangrove

These red mangrove trees were in Collier Seminole State Park.

Shiny leaves and germinating seed pods of a Red Mangrove in Collier Seminole State Park, Florida

Shiny leaves and germinating seed pods of Red Mangrove in Collier Seminole State Park.

Seed pod and bloom of the Red Mangrove in Collier Seminole State Park south Florida

Joyce took this picture of Red Mangrove seed pods and bloom in Collier Seminole State Park.