Green Buttonwood

Also known as Buttonwood, Button Mangrove, Zaragoza Mangrove

Green buttonwood anchors coastal transition zones just above the high-tide line, forming dense thickets that buffer shorelines against storm surges and wind. Its leathery, elliptical leaves feature specialized salt-excreting glands at the base of each blade, allowing it to thrive in saline soils where few other terrestrial trees survive. In late summer, spherical flower heads mature into reddish-brown, cone-like button clusters that disperse via coastal water currents.