Family: Boraginaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Grows in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii (Hawaiian Islands), Australia and elsewhere
  
• Agricultural and environmental weed in Australia (impacts in the Hawaiian Islands minimal or undocumented to date)
  
• Other Heliotropium species are invasive
  
• Palatable, but toxic, to animals
  
• Potentially toxic to people (but unlikely to be ingested)
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Reproduces by seeds
  
• Able to reach maturity in <1 year
  
• Seeds dispersed externally by animals and people, by water, internally (survive gut passage), and sometimes as a produce contaminant
  
• Prolific seed production in Australia (but possibly not Hawaiian Islands)
  
• Tolerates mechanical damage and mowing; resprouts from roots

Low Risk Traits:

• Despite high risk and detrimental impacts, not regarded as a serious weed in the Hawaiian Islands to date
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Palatable to animals (despite toxicity)
  
• Ornamental uses
  
• Not reported to spread vegetatively (but does resprout from roots after mechanical damage)
  
• Herbicides provide effective control