Family: Fabaceae

Adenanthera pavonina, commonly known as the peacock tree, is a fast-growing, deciduous legume native to tropical Asia. It is often planted as an ornamental shade tree and valued for its striking red seeds, which are sometimes used in jewelry, games, and traditional medicine. The tree can reach up to 15–20 meters in height, produces bipinnate leaves, and bears small yellowish flowers followed by twisted pods. It is nitrogen-fixing, drought tolerant, and well adapted to a variety of soils, making it a hardy species for cultivation in tropical and subtropical climates.

Outside its native range, Adenanthera pavonina has naturalized widely, including in the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, Central and South America, and parts of Africa. In the Hawaiian Islands, it has escaped cultivation and established in lowland areas, where it can spread and compete with native vegetation. Its ability to grow rapidly, tolerate disturbance, and form dense stands contributes to its invasive potential. Although valued in some regions for shade and reforestation, it is considered invasive in others and requires monitoring to prevent ecosystem impacts.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized globally: Established in tropical regions worldwide, including Hawaiʻi (Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui), Florida, and Christmas Island.
  
• Environmental weed: Invades intact forests and forms colonies, altering ecosystems.
  
• Highly adaptable: Thrives in diverse soils and is shade tolerant.
  
• Nitrogen-fixing: Can change soil chemistry to benefit itself over natives.
  
• Bird-dispersed: Seeds are consumed and spread into natural areas.
  
• Persistent seed bank: Hard-coated seeds remain viable in soil for over a year.
  
• Resilient: Resprouts vigorously after damage (e.g., cutting, storms).

Low Risk Traits:

• Not toxic when prepared: Raw seeds are toxic but cooked seeds are edible; no evidence of natural poisoning.
  
• Not a physical nuisance: Lacks spines, thorns, burrs, and is not parasitic.
  
• Limited reproduction: Does not reproduce vegetatively or form dense thickets.
  
• Controllable: Herbicides are effective for management.
  
• Low inadvertent spread: Seeds are not dispersed by wind, water, or as a produce contaminant.