Family: Combretaceae
Common name: Buttonwood, Button mangrove, Silver buttonwood, Silver-leaf Buttonwood, False mangrove, Grey Mangrove
Buttonwood is a versatile, resilient tree that is very commonly used in landscaping as hedge or border trees. They grow very well in tropical countries along coastal areas and also inland.
Plant Characteristics
It is a sturdy, fast-growing tree that can grow 3-5 meters tall and sometimes even up to 15 meters depending on the growing conditions.
The canopy is dense and rounded, covered with dark green leaves or even silver leaves in the variant Conocarpus erectus var. sericeus.
The trunk is stout with a smooth brown bark that may become fissured and rough as the tree matures. Leaves of the Buttonwood tree are oblong or elliptical, about 4-7 cm, the dense foliage of dark green leaves making them a favorite among gardeners and landscapers.
The flowers of the Buttonwood tree are small and inconspicuous, growing as dense spikes at the tip of the stem with spiky stamens covering the flowers. These flowers are pale green or yellow in color without any showy petals. Hence, they do not attract pollinators and are mostly wind-pollinated.
Once they are pollinated, the flowers produce small, woody fruits that are initially green, slowly turning dark brown. They are about 5-8 mm in diameter containing tiny seeds that are dispersed when the fruits open once they are mature.
The fruits can float in water and travel long distances helping them spread to distant shores.
Gardening tips
The plants need good, direct sunlight for them to grow bushy and rounded. Planting them in the shade might make the plants shaggy with sparse leaves.
Once the plants are established in the soil, they need watering only during the hot summer months since they are drought-tolerant. These plans do well in coastal areas and thrive well in saline soil or salt sprays.
This makes Buttonwood plants very valuable ornamental plants near beaches or coastal areas. They can be pruned well to keep them rounded and bushy.
Part of the Buttonwood plants have some anti-pyretic, anti malarial properties, making them effective in the treatment of fever, cuts, wounds, inflammations, conjunctivitis, malaria, anemia, and so on.
The name Buttonwood comes from the button-like fruits that are rounded and slightly prickly. The wood is hard and durable, making it ideal for construction of small furniture and tools.
Propagation is through seeds, stem cuttings, and layering.
Photographed at: Nandi hills area, Bangalore
