Family: Fabaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Environmentally versatile (elevation range exceeds 1000 m)
  
• Widely naturalized (including Hawaii Island)
  
• A weed of forestry plantations
  
• An environmental weed
  
• Related Cytisus species have become invasive
  
• Toxic to cattle
  
• Increases fire hazard with flammable biomass
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Can from dense monocultures that exclude other vegetation
  
• Limited self-compatibility
  
• Accidentally and intentionally dispersed by seeds
  
• Prolific seed production
  
• Forms a persistent seed bank
  
• Resprouts after damage from cutting or fire

Low Risk Traits:

• May be limited to higher, cooler elevations in tropical island ecosystems
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Palatable to goats and sheep
  
• Intolerant of heavy shade
  
• Does not spread vegetatively
  
• Valued as an ornamental in some locations
  
• Herbicides provide effective control under certain circumstances