Family: Araliaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Polyscias nodosa (dog-bone tree, malapapaya) is native to a broad region extending from Java through the Caroline Islands (including Palau) and northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a small to medium-sized tropical tree known for its unusual trunk, which has distinctive swollen, knobby segments that resemble a “dog bone.” The tree produces attractive, glossy, divided leaves that give it a light, airy canopy. In landscaping, it is valued as an ornamental accent or specimen plant for tropical and subtropical gardens, where its unique trunk form adds visual interest. It is also occasionally used in traditional agroforestry systems and as a shade or boundary planting in parts of its native and introduced range.

Risks & Threats
This species is considered low risk and is not known to be naturalized or invasive in Hawaiʻi. It does not currently show strong traits associated with aggressive spread, and its ornamental use is generally well-behaved in managed landscapes. However, like many tropical ornamentals, continued observation is important because some Polyscias species produce bird-dispersed fruits that could potentially allow limited spread under favorable conditions. At present, there is no evidence that Polyscias nodosa poses a significant ecological threat in Hawaiʻi, but routine monitoring is still recommended as a precaution to ensure it remains a safe landscaping choice.

High Risk Traits:

• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Leaves used as a fish poison (potentially toxic to other animals and people)
  
• Produces numerous bird-dispersed seeds
  
• Ability to resprout from cut or damaged trunks

Low Risk Traits:

• No evidence of naturalization or records of invasiveness elsewhere were found
  
• Grows only in lower elevation, tropical climates
  
• Trees are dioecious, and presumably not self-fertile
  
• Landscaping and ornamental value