Mangroves are one among the most productive and biologically important ecosystem on this planet, providing vital ecosystem goods and services. Acanthus ilicifolius generally known as Sea holy and holy mangrove. The genus Acanthus, belonging to the family Acanthaceae, is most common in both east and west coast of India including Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands. Genus Acanthus comprises of over 30 species, However, in India only A. ilicifolius is known to occur in all mangrove habitats. A. ilicifolius is common in landward edges of mangroves just above the high tide mark, and also occurs in inner mangroves. Out of all the species, A. ilicifolius has a long history of use as a folklore and traditional remedy for treating various diseases in Ayurveda as well as in Thai medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Furthermore, all the parts of A. ilicifolius plant have been used to cure a number of ailments in various traditional systems of medicine including Ayurveda. Thus, in the present review we aimed to describe and delineate on the geographical distribution, phytochemistry and ethnomedicinal properties of A. ilicifolius.