Local Residents: Flora
Meet some of our most verdant inhabitants. Check back as new species are added and/or highlighted! Want to donate a native plant? Please reach out to our team on our ’Get Involved’ page.
Koa haole, Leucaena Ieucocephala
Introduced by Europeans in early nineteenth century, it was one of the earliest alien plants. This spinless legume shrub was widely planted to provide a fast-growing source of firewood and charcoal. Its drought tolerance and nitrogen-fixing root nodules allow it to grow rapidly in arid and poor soils. Today this plant covers the lowlands of Oahu and Kauai and broad lowland areas on all of the major islands.
Christmas berry, Schinus terebinthifolius, Anacardiaceae
This South American three was first noted in Hawaiian Islands in 1909. The red berries give this species its name and became widely dispersed by alien birds to wet and lowland environments.
Albizia moluccana, Falcatarua moluccana
This plant grows rapidly to up to 40m tall, introduced to Hawaii from Indonesia by Joseph Rock in 1917 as an ornamental three and for reforestation. It has spread slowly into forests and pastures.
Elephant grass
California grass