Acacia mangium, commonly known as mangium, salwood, or black wattle, is a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing tree in the pea family (Fabaceae). Native to northeastern Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Moluccan Islands, and Indonesia, this tropical evergreen was introduced to Hawaiʻi in the 1970s for … [Read more...] about Acacia mangium: A Fast-Growing Forestry Tree Turned Invasive in Hawaiʻi
That’s Hau!
History Commonly known as hau, Hibiscus tiliaceus has an extensive native range encompassing both the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas. Hau is likely an indigenous plant, although evidence supporting this theory is obscure. The tree is adapted for ocean dispersal and grows well in the salt spray. … [Read more...] about That’s Hau!
Identify Plants Like A Pro: Evaluating and Ranking Plant ID Apps
Accurate and timely identification of unfamiliar plant species plays an integral part in the early detection of spreading or newly emerging invasive weeds. After all, it's crucial to know the species, especially when control measures are needed. A plant ID app is any app that takes a picture of a … [Read more...] about Identify Plants Like A Pro: Evaluating and Ranking Plant ID Apps
Bele
AKA: edible hibiscus, Tongan spinach Commonly known as bele, Abelmoschus manihot is a superfood everyone should grow. It’s so easy to cultivate that even those without a green thumb should be successful. This species was once in the Hibiscus genus. While the flowers look similar, bele flowers … [Read more...] about Bele
Barbas de Indio (Andropogon bicornis)
In 2013, the introduced grass Barbas de Indio (Andropogon bicornis) was found naturalizing near Lava Tree State Park outside Pāhoa, Hawaiʻi. It grew in an area cleared for utility lines through mixed native/non-native ‘ōhi‘a. Likely, the plant had been established for some time, but amidst the many … [Read more...] about Barbas de Indio (Andropogon bicornis)
When living fences escape
Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, “The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said ‘This is mine,’ and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society.” For better or for worse, fencing has shaped cultures around the world. Fences regulate our … [Read more...] about When living fences escape
