Leucaena to Pterocarpus
Leucaena leucocephala
(syn. Acacia glauca, Leucaena glabrata, Leucaena glauca, Leucaena latisiliqua), koa haole, leucaena, false koa, leadtree, ipil-ipil (Philippines), lamtoro (Indonesia)
- Family Fabaceae (Mimosoideae).
- Native to southeastern Mexico. Introduced to Hawaii after 1864.
- Wood managed for fuel or charcoal and as a green manure for tea and coffee plantations. Leaves used as fodder for ruminants.
- Weed Risk Assessment Score: 15 (Pest) for the "wild" shrubby type. NOT RECOMMENDED for introduction to new areas in Hawaii. Arboreal types as in lower photo much less likely to become weedy. Click here for information from Weeds of Hawaii.
Lophostemon confertus
(syn. Tristania conferta), brushbox, Brisbane box, vinegar tree
- Family Myrtaceae.
- Native to east coast of Australia.
- Special areas in Hawaii: Wahiawa, Aiea, Tantalus.
- Wood used as pallets, flooring, pulp chips, for construction, shipbuilding, bridges, railway crossties and mallets. Trees popular as windbreaks in Hawaii.
- Weed Risk Assessment Score: -3 (OK)
Mangifera indica
mango, manako (Hawaii), iedel (Palau), manga (Yap), kangit (Chuuk and Pohnpei)
- Family Anacardiaceae.
- Native to tropical India and Burma.
- Special areas in Hawaii: Keahua, Waimea Arboretum, Foster, Tantalus.
- Introduced to Hawaii prior to 1825.
- Fruit widely prized. Wood used for furniture, paneling, carved and turned bowls and trays, flooring, and construction.
- Weed Risk Assessment Score: 1 (Low)
Melaleuca quinquenervia
paper bark, cajeput tree
- Family Myrtaceae.
- Native to Australia, New Caledonia, and Papua New Guinea.
- Special areas in Hawaii: Tantalus, Kalopa.
- Trees commonly used as windbreaks in Hawaii and for reforestation of degreaded and flooded areas. A medicinal oil is distilled from the leaves.
- Weed Risk Assessment Score: 15 (Pest) NOT RECOMMENDED for introduction to new areas in Hawaii, especially near bodies of water. Click here for information from Weeds of Hawaii.
Metrosideros polymorpha
(syn. Metrosideros collina), ohia, ohia lehua
- Family Myrtaceae.
- Native to Hawaii.
- Special areas: Kokee, Keahua, Waimea Arboretum, Aiea, Haleakala, Kalopa, Volcanoes, Kipuka Puaulu.
- Wood used for construction, carved images, household implements, canoe parts, flooring, ship blocking, marine construction, canal stakes, pallets, fenceposts, decorative poles, ukulele keys to railroad crossties.
Olea europaea
wild olive, oliwa
- Family Oleaceae.
- Native to the Mediterranean.
- Used in Hawaii for windbreaks. European olives are the source of eating olives and olive oil.
- Weed Risk Assessment Score: 5 (evaluate further). Tree is observed to spread from seed in Hawaii. Click here for information from Weeds of Hawaii.
- Photographs are of windbreaks in Waimea, Hawaii.
Pinus radiata
(syn. P. insignis), Monterey pine, insignis pine
- Family Pinaceae.
- Native to central California coast.
- Special areas: Waihou, Kula.
- Wood suitable for most structural purposes. Used in upper elevation areas in Hawaii as a windbreak. Elsewhere used for lumber and pulpwood.
- Weed Risk Assessment Score: 5 (OK)
Pterocarpus indicus
(syn. Pterocarpus blancoi, Pterocarpus echinatus, Pterocarpus vidalianus), narra, New Guinea rosewood, bluewater, sand dragon, Burmese rosewood
- Family Fabaceae (Papilionoideae).
- Native to Southeast Asia, Caroline Islands in Micronesia to Vanuatu and Fiji in Melanesia.
- Wood used as furniture, cabinetwork, veneer, piano cases, interior finishes, building timber, carpentry, joinery, flooring, panelling, woodware, musical instruments, carvings, turnery, marquetry, wood based material, laminated wood, plywood, fuel, wood extractives (oil).
- Weed Risk Assessment Score: 4 (Low, not currently recognized as invasive in Hawaii based on a track record of not becoming naturalized despite being widely planted in Hawaii for at least 40 years.)
