Family: Meliaceae
Cedrela odorata (West Indian cedar) is a tall, fast-growing tree native from the West Indies south to the Amazon Basin. It can reach heights of 100 feet (33 m) and trunk diameters of 3–6 feet (1–2 m) above large basal buttresses. The tree has an unpleasant odor, yellowish flowers with the ovary raised on a cylindrical disk, and leaves with 10–20 pairs of narrow-oblong leaflets. It is similar in appearance to Toona species in Hawai‘i but can be distinguished by its winged seeds (winged at the lower part only). Widely planted in tropical forestry, its wood is aromatic, lightweight, and strong. In Hawai‘i, over 26,000 trees were planted between 1910 and 1960, with about 9,000 planted on Maui alone, in areas like Hāna, Ko‘olau, and Makawao.
Cedrela odorata is now naturalized in Hawai‘i and spreading from plantations into disturbed lowland wet forests, particularly on Maui. It forms dense stands that crowd out native vegetation, threatening biodiversity and altering forest structure. While already documented as naturalized on Maui, it was also planted in large numbers on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, and Hawai‘i Island, and its spread on those islands should be investigated. Due to its invasive potential and ecological impact, C. odorata is not recommended for future planting, and non-invasive alternatives should be used instead.
High Risk Traits:
- Thrives in tropical climates
- Elevation range exceeds 1000 m
- Naturalized in East Maui, Hawaiian Islands, the Galapagos, and in Africa and southeast Asia
- An environmental weed
- Unpalatable to cattle
- Tolerates many soil types
- May from dense monocultures that exclude other vegetation
- Produces numerous wind-dispersed seeds
Low Risk Traits:
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
- Useful timber and shade tree
- Self-Incompatible
- Does not spread vegetatively
- Long time to reproductive maturity (10-15 years)
- Does not form a persistent seed bank
- Does not coppice or tolerate heavy pruning
- Herbicides may provide effective control
