Family: Passifloraceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Banana poka (Passiflora tarminiana) is a vigorous climbing vine native to the highlands of tropical South America, including areas from southern Mexico through Venezuela, Peru, and the northern Andes. It was introduced to Hawaiʻi in the early 1900s, reportedly planted to screen an outdoor structure, and was first documented on Hawaiʻi Island in 1926. The plant produces long, trailing vines with three-lobed leaves, large pink pendulous flowers, and elongated yellow fruit filled with many seeds. In its native range it has been cultivated for centuries, primarily for its edible, mildly sweet fruit, and it is also valued as an ornamental vine in some regions.

Risks & Threats
In Hawaiʻi, banana poka is naturalized on Kauaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi and is now recognized as a serious pest in mesic forest ecosystems, particularly at mid- to high-elevations (about 850–2,225 m). It is a fast-growing vine that can climb into the forest canopy, forming dense mats that smother and weaken native trees, break branches, and suppress forest regeneration. Its spread is strongly aided by feral pigs and other fruit-eating animals, which disperse seeds into new areas. Because this species is naturalized and possesses traits that are cause for concern—including rapid growth, heavy seed production, and animal-assisted dispersal—it is detrimentally impacting tropical island ecosystems. Choosing a low-risk or native alternative is recommended to help protect Hawaiʻi’s forests and watersheds.

High Risk Traits:

• Broad climate suitability (2000–3600 m elevation)
  
• Native or naturalized in tropical/subtropical climates
  
• Repeated introductions outside native range
  
• Naturalized beyond native range (e.g., Kauaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi)
  
• Agricultural/forestry weed (major problem in koa silviculture)
  
• Environmental weed (alters native vegetation)
  
• Congeneric weed (P. foetida, P. edulis invasive elsewhere)
  
• Shade tolerant (older seedlings)
  
• Climbing/smothering growth habit (liana)
  
• Produces viable seed
  
• Hybridizes naturally
  
• Self-compatible (single colonizer can establish population)
  
• Minimum generative time ≤ 1 year
  
• Propagules dispersed unintentionally (plantations)
  
• Propagules dispersed intentionally (people, cattle)
  
• Propagules as produce contaminant
  
• Propagules water-dispersed
  
• Propagules bird-dispersed
  
• Propagules survive gut passage
  
• Prolific seed production (up to 200 seeds/fruit)
  
• Not well controlled by herbicides

Low Risk Traits:

• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• Not toxic to animals or humans
  
• No vegetative fragmentation
  
• Not wind-dispersed
  
• No external animal dispersal