Dhalabani
Avicennia alba
Aquatic Plants Difficulty: Moderate Air purifying
📖 About this plant
Avicennia alba (black mangrove or ‘Dhalabani’ in Odia) is a large mangrove tree of the Verbenaceae (Acanthaceae) family. The tree produces dense pneumatophore forests (aerial roots) that stick up from the mud around the tree for gas exchange. Leaves excrete salt through special glands. The tree is a dominant species of the Sundarbans and other Indian mangrove forests. Wood is used for charcoal and small construction. Bark yields tannin.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun
💧
Water
Brackish mangrove water
💨
Humidity
High
🌡️
Temperature
20-35°C
🪴
Soil
Mangrove mud
🧪
Fertilizer
Not required
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Indo-Pacific mangroves
- 📏 Max height
- 10-20 m
- 📐 Spread
- 5-8 m
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer (small yellow flowers in clusters)
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Evergreen dark green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 40+ years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic
- 🌱 Propagation
- Propagules
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic
Common issues
- Habitat loss, top-dying from salinity changes
💡 Care tips
- Mangrove species — requires brackish habitat. Critical for coastal protection.
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One click — added instantly. Watering every 7 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
