Family: Altingiaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Elevation range exceeds 1000 m and broad climate suitability, demonstrating environmental versatility
- Grows in tropical climates
- Naturalized in New Zealand, and possibly elsewhere outside native range (but no evidence in Hawaiian Islands to date)
- A fast-growing pioneer tree that can become a nuisance in landscaping due to the spikey fruiting capsules, aggressive roots and potential to form dense stands
- A possible forestry weed
- Spiny fruiting capsules can be a landscaping hazard
- Tolerates many soil types
- Forms pure stands in native range
- Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by root suckers
- Seeds dispersed by wind, secondarily by water and intentionally by people
- Orthodox seeds may form a seed bank that persists for one or more years
- Able to coppice and resprout after cutting and fire
Low Risk Traits:
- Provides fodder for livestock
- Mostly shade intolerant (could limit spread into intact forests)
- Self-incompatible
- Long time to reproductive maturity (20-30 years typical, although some trees could reach maturity in 4-5 years)
- Herbicides may provide effective control
