Barringtonia asiatica, commonly known as the Fish Poison/Sea Poison Tree or Box Fruit Tree, is a tropical mangrove species often noted for its large, showy flowers, bright red emergent leaves and distinctive box-like fruit. Although it is typically a large coastal tree, its young specimens can be grown indoors as a unique, decorative foliage plant if conditions are controlled properly. The tree features glossy, lance-shaped leaves with wavy margins that emerge light green before darkening as they mature.
This species is native to tropical coastlines of the Indo-Pacific region, from eastern Africa and Madagascar to Southeast Asia and northern Australia. It thrives in sandy, well-draining soils near the ocean, often growing as part of the mangrove ecosystem where it benefits from salt-tolerant adaptations.
Watering should mimic the plant’s natural preference for regular moisture. Keep the soil consistently moist, but avoid waterlogging. Use a well-draining potting mix with sand or grit to help replicate the sandy coastal conditions it prefers. Indoor specimens may benefit from occasional misting or higher humidity conditions
Bright, indirect light is essential for Barringtonia asiatica. It can tolerate some direct sunlight, especially in the morning, but strong midday sun may scorch the leaves. Place near a bright window with filtered light for best results.
High humidity is beneficial, ideally above 60%. It can tolerate lower levels, but growth may slow, and leaf edges could brown if the air is too dry. A humidifier or regular misting can help maintain appropriate humidity levels indoors.
Prefers warm temperatures ranging from 20°C to 30°C. It is sensitive to cold and should be kept away from draughts or temperatures below 15°C. This plant is suited to stable indoor conditions and does not tolerate frost, making it unsuitable for outdoor cultivation in temperate climates.
Please note, this plant is growing out of the seed of it's fruit. This is not a caudex. Over time this will be used up and fall off/or need removing.
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All plants are shipped in their plastic nursery pot unless otherwise stated.
Plant pot sizes can fluctuate +/- 1cm.
We recommend to always size up your decorative pot by 1-2cm larger than the stated plant pot size. For example if you are purchasing a 12cm plant, you should purchase a 14cm decorative pot to ensure it will fit correctly.
We pride ourselves on the love and care with give our plants. Our entire team are plant obsessives at heart and so we go above and beyond to care for the plants we have in stock.
That said, plants are living beings and may differ slightly from the photo provided unless otherwise stated. Small leaf imperfections may be present and won't be compensated for. Some plants such as Begonia may suffer slight leaf melt when shipped. This is normal and nothing to be concerned about.
All our plants are stores and/or grown in our nursery under LED lighting. The conditions in our nursery are a minimum of 60% humidity and 19C year round.
