Family: Malvaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Durio zibethinus, commonly known as durian, is a large tropical fruit tree native to Southeast Asia, particularly regions of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. It is best known for its large, spiky fruits and famously strong aroma, which people tend to either love or dislike. The tree can grow up to 80–130 feet tall in optimal conditions, with glossy evergreen leaves and showy flowers that are often pollinated by bats. Durian is widely cultivated throughout the tropics for its rich, custard-like fruit, which is eaten fresh or used in desserts, candies, and other specialty foods. In Hawaiʻi, it is occasionally grown in home gardens and small orchards in warm, humid areas suitable for tropical fruit production.

Risks & Threats
Durian is considered a low-risk species in Hawaiʻi. It is not known to naturalize or spread aggressively in the Islands. The tree generally requires careful cultivation, consistent moisture, and specific growing conditions to thrive, and it does not typically establish outside managed landscapes. Fruits are large and heavy, limiting dispersal, and seedlings are not commonly found spreading into natural areas. As with any non-native plant, responsible planting and proper management are recommended. However, based on current information, durian does not pose a significant threat to Hawaiʻi’s native ecosystems when grown in appropriate agricultural or residential settings.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized elsewhere: Yes, widely naturalized in Asia (Pohnpei, Singapore, but not in the Hawaiian Islands to date)
  
• Climate suitability: Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Shade tolerant: Yes, as juvenile (30-50% shade)
  
• Soil tolerance: Wide range (sandy clay to clay loam)
  
• Viable seeds: Yes
  
• Hybridization: Potential with other Durio species
  
• Animal dispersed: Yes (civets, elephants, deer, monkeys)
  
• Intentional dispersal: Yes, widely cultivated
  
• Pest/disease host: Yes (Phytophthora, fungi, nematodes, insects)

Low Risk Traits:

• Weed status: No evidence (agricultural/environmental)
  
• Weedy congeners: None reported
  
• Seed production: Low (~5.5 seeds/fruit)
  
• Seed bank: None (seeds viable days to weeks)
  
• Climate range: Narrow (0-900m, >15°C, high rainfall)
  
• Spines/thorns: No (fruit spiny, but not vegetative)
  
• Allelopathic: No evidence
  
• Toxic: No (fruit edible)
  
• Thicket-forming: No (solitary tree)
  
• Generation time: Long (7-8+ years)
  
• Wind/water dispersed: No
  
• Bird dispersed: No (terrestrial mammals)
  
• Unintentional dispersal: No (seeds too large)
  
• Vegetative reproduction: No (cuttings fail)