Family: Melastomataceae

Native to South and Central America, Miconia thrives in wet areas with deep shade. Miconia was imported to Hawaiʻi Island as a botanical specimen in 1961 by a prominent Hilo resident. According to legend, the first Miconia plants died, and the pot was discarded under a dark greenhouse bench. Sometime later, new plants appeared in the pot, which was then shared among plant enthusiasts on the East side of the Big Island. Dr. Forsberg, a botanist specializing in the Pacific, warned authorities in 1971 about the destructive nature of Miconia “It is the one plant that could really destroy native the Hawaiian forests,” he said.

An expanding population around Onomea was noticed in the 1980s; unfortunately, volunteer efforts for mechanical removal were not sufficient for eradication. Earnest attempts to eradicate this pest have been ongoing since the mid-90s. As one of the most studied and documented invasive plants, it’s ironic that reports of Miconia’s spread and literature documenting its invasion are absent from natural literature until the 1990s.

Today, Miconia grows on Kauaʻi, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island. Studies have shown that one tree can produce 3 to 9 million viable seeds in 1 year, remaining viable for (at least) 19 years in the soil. The build-up of ‘seed deposits ‘ in the seed bank makes mechanical and chemical eradication almost impossible. It is listed on Hawaiʻi State Noxious Weed List. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife of the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources has designated this species as one of Hawaiʻi’s Most Invasive Horticultural Plants.

Description and Dispersal:

• Large tree grows up to 50 ft tall
  
• Large oval-shaped leaves (up to 3 ft long), green on top, purple underneath, with three main midribs running from stem to leaf-tip
  
• Tan flowers are in upright clusters at branch tips; small round fruit (red immature to dark blue mature)
  
• Seeds spread by birds and as a contaminant on hiking boots, gear, and pigs