Family: Orchidaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Cymbidium finlaysonianum is an orchid native to Indo-China through Malesia. It is a large, clumping epiphytic orchid that grows on trees and produces long, strap-like leaves and branched flower spikes bearing numerous yellowish-green flowers with dark markings. It is cultivated as an ornamental orchid for its attractive flowers and unusual growth habit and is sometimes grown outdoors in tropical and subtropical climates.

Risks & Threats
Cymbidium finlaysonianum is potentially naturalizing in Hawaiʻi and possesses traits that are cause for concern, including its ability to grow as an epiphyte and reproduce from numerous seeds that can be dispersed from plants growing in natural areas. Once established, epiphytic orchids can persist on trees and may spread into surrounding vegetation. These characteristics could allow this species to become established and detrimentally impact tropical island ecosystems. Choose a low-risk or native alternative when available, and where C. finlaysonianum is already present, consider managing or preventing its use in areas where it is not yet widely established to minimize further negative impacts.

The Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA) is a service of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC).

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized beyond native range - escaped from cultivation in Cuba and potentially naturalizing in Hawai'i
  
• Host for recognized pests and pathogens - including Pseudomonas cattleyea, Phytophthora spp., Erwinia carotovora, and suspected viruses
  
• Shade tolerant at some life stages
  
• Produces viable seed with high embryo viability (97.8%) and germination rates up to 83.8%
  
• Self-compatible - can reproduce without a second individual
  
• Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation via pseudobulb division
  
• Propagules dispersed intentionally by people through trade, cultivation, and conservation plantings
  
• Propagules adapted to wind dispersal - dust-like seeds documented traveling 30 yards
  
• Prolific seed production exceeding 1,000 seeds/m²
  
• Climbing or smothering growth habit - can form very large epiphytic masses
  
• Congeneric weeds exist - C. aloifolium, C. dayanum, and C. insigne are listed as naturalized or potentially weedy

Low Risk Traits:

• Narrow climate suitability - lowland tropical orchid, elevation mostly below 300 m, USDA Zones 10 -12
  
• Not an agricultural, forestry, or horticultural weed
  
• Produces no spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• Not toxic to animals - generally considered non-toxic to humans, cats, and dogs
  
• Does not create a fire hazard in natural ecosystems
  
• Does not tolerate a wide range of soil conditions - requires well-drained, non-soil substrates
  
• Minimum generative time exceeds 3 years (~5 years from seed)
  
• Propagules unlikely to disperse unintentionally from heavily trafficked areas
  
• Propagules unlikely to disperse as produce contaminant
  
• Propagules not bird dispersed
  
• Propagules not dispersed externally by other animals
  
• Propagules do not survive gut passage
  
• No effective natural enemies or biocontrol agents present