Family: Lauraceae

High Risk Traits:

• Established Invasiveness: Naturalized in Hawai'i (O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i) and viewed as a "serious pest" in West Maui watersheds.
  
• Environmental Weed: Forms dense, monotypic stands that displace native vegetation, even in low-light understory conditions.
  
• Congeneric Weed: Related species (Cinnamomum camphora) is a known invasive environmental weed.
  
• Shade Tolerant: Can establish and recruit seedlings in shaded, forested environments.
  
• Bird Dispersed: Fruits are consumed and dispersed by multiple bird species (e.g., bulbuls, white-eyes, mynas).
  
• Viable Seeds & Gut Survival: Produces viable seeds that survive bird gut passage, enhancing spread.
  
• Human Dispersed: Intentionally planted as a street, reforestation, and ornamental tree.
  
• Wide Environmental Tolerance: Grows from sea level to 2,000 m elevation; tolerates a range of soil types.
  
• Forms Dense Thickets: Creates monotypic stands with high seedling recruitment.
  
• Host for Pests/Pathogens: Can host significant pathogens like Phytophthora cinnamomi.

Low Risk Traits:

• Non-Toxic: No evidence of toxicity to humans or animals.
  
• Not Allelopathic: No evidence of chemical inhibition of other plants.
  
• No Physical Defenses: Lacks spines, thorns, or burrs.
  
• Not a Fire Hazard: Considered a fire-resistant species in some studies.
  
• Not a Prolific Seed Producer: Relatively large seeds; unlikely to produce >1,000 seeds/m².
  
• No External Dispersal Adaptations: Fruits lack hooks or attachments for animal fur or human clothing.
  
• Not Wind or Water Dispersed: No specific adaptations for wind or consistent water dispersal.
  
• Herbicide Susceptible: Can be controlled with herbicides (e.g., Garlon 3A, imazapyr).