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FLORA

Trees and plants in and around St Lucia

Recorded Plant Species

Recorded Endemic Plant Species

Recorded Mangrove Species

St Lucia estuarine system, located within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park covers an area of 239 566 ha. This area includes marine, coastal, wetland, estuarine and terrestrial environments. With this said, flora in the area is rich and diverse, with 734 genera and 2180 recorded plant species.

Indigenous trees found in the area include Dune Sweet Thorn, White-milkwood, Coast Strelitzia, Buffalo-thorn, Dune Myrtle, Bush Tick-berry, Dune Star-apple, Coast Red-milkwood, Cape-ash and Thorny-rope Flat-bean to name a few.

The area provides the ideal habitat for mangrove trees of which 6 species have been recorded. These are the White mangrove, Black mangrove, Red mangrove, Eastern mangrove, Kosi mangrove and Cannonball mangrove. The White, Black and Red mangroves are commonly found along the St Lucia Estuary. Mangrove ecosystems provide habitat for a variety of animals and are critical for animals who are dependent on them to complete their life cycles.

Sausage-tree (Kigelia africana)

Delicate flowers such as African-dogrose, Candy-striped crinum, Paintbrush lily, Fireball lily, Flame lily and Lagoon Hibiscus provide colour to the landscape throughout the year.

Although present, alien invasive plant species are relatively low in St Lucia. Forestry that dominated the park in the 1960s, followed a successful wetland rehabilitation program on the Eastern Shores in which removal of the pine plantations was conducted. The area is now functioning as a grassland and wetland. Rehabilitation of the Western Shores are still in progress.