Low Risk: Not currently recognized as invasive in Hawaiʻi, and not likely to have major ecological or economic impacts on other Pacific Islands.

High Risk: Likely to be invasive in Hawaiʻi and on other Pacific Islands as predicted by the HPWRA screening process (using information about species biology and behavior in Hawaiʻi and/or other parts of the world)

Evaluate: Risk of invasiveness is uncertain because 1.) important information is missing from the assessment or 2.) the species possesses a combination of traits and characteristics that make its likely behavior difficult to assess using the HPWRA system.

The Hawai‘i-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA) is a free service that provides a background check on plants. Professional botanists use published information to answer 49 questions about a plant, to predict whether it is a low-risk or high-risk of becoming invasive in Hawai‘i or similar Pacific islands. The HPWRA is more than 90% accurate in identifying invasive plants.

The HPWRA can be a valuable tool for assisting with import and planting decisions to reduce invasive plant problems. However, the HPWRA score should not be used as primary justification for removing trees or other established plants from urban landscapes, nor should it be interpreted to mean, “Do not plant under any circumstance.” To request that a plant be assessed using the HPWRA, please request a free assessment by clicking here. To ask questions about the HPWRA or a plant’s score, contact us.