Temperature is an important factor that affects the growth and reproduction of mangrove plants. Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F. Gaertn is a controversial species in China, in terms of being a pioneer species for mangrove restoration and a putative invasive species occupying the natural habitats. One of its advantages is the strong resistance to low temperature, which makes L. racemose more adaptive to extreme climate change than local mangrove species. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms underlying the cold-stress tolerance in L. racemose, which restricted our understanding on its biological features and invasion potential. In this study, In the current study, we investigated the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in chilling-stress adaptation in L. racemose. Freezing temperature caused damage to cell membrane system and reduced photosynthesis efficiency in L. racemose. To combat the adverse impacts, plasma membrane biosynthesis and antioxidant processes were substantially enhanced. Furthermore, we showed that there was a difference between the responses to freeze-thaw injury in L. racemose from different locations. It may provide new clues to the different genetic background between varieties of L. racemose. These novel findings could provide biochemical and genetic basis for the cultivation and restoration of L. racemose. Overall design: To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying cold-stress resistance in L. racemose, we treated the seedlings of L. racemose with freezing temperature (0?) for 0h, 3h, 12h and 12h with 24h recovery, and then conducted comparative transcriptome analysis between the treated and untreated plants.