The black mangrove is the largest and tallest of the three types listed above because of their age. They are found upland to the red mangroves, located at higher elevations, and are the most cold tolerant. The bark of this tree is dark which gives it the name black mangrove. "The leaves are shiny dark green on the top, oblong and pointed at the tip. The undersides of the leaves are a dull green color with short dense hairs-glands-which excrete saltะthe leaves serve as a back-up system for ridding the Black Mangrove of the salt that has not been excreted by the roots. When early settlers came to Florida they harvested salt from the Black Mangrove leaves" (Phillips, 2003).