a nice mangrove tree - the tumu merah

mangrove trees are usually not much to look at. i do not give the bakau or api api a second look when i visit mangrove swamps in tampines, sungei buloh or chek jawa. their roots do look fascinating.

however, there is one which has quite attractive flowers. it is the tumu merah, which some people erroneously referred to as the lipstick tree. the lipstick tree is the bixa orellana which i blogged about recently.

i was first attracted to this tree by the red flowers which reminded me of my chilli plant. i found this tree growing at the landward zone of the coastal swamp forest at sungei buloh.