Mangrove forests protect coastal communities from wind and wave energy, including during extreme events such as cyclones and tsunamis. Under extreme conditions, energy absorption often exceeds mangrove tree strength, resulting in broken stems and uprooted trees. Such damage can restructure mangrove forest community composition and function for decades. Predicting the vulnerability of mangrove forests to damage from external forces is critical for understanding the likelihood of forest structural change during damaging events. Despite the importance of such predictions, we have little understanding of the role of mangrove root anchorage on their capacity to withstand extreme forces. We measured mangrove tree strength across three root guilds (prop roots, pneumatophores, and buttress roots) using static pulling tests. In these tests, a non-destructive load is applied to a tree using a winch, and the force applied is related to the bending induced in the tree. We observed significant differences in tree strength between root guilds. Within root guilds, root orientation and structural integrity also drove differences in tree strength. Enhanced knowledge of tree strength across root guilds is required to understand the coastal protection services provided by diverse mangrove forests, particularly in a future of global change and increased occurrence of extreme events.