Family: Araliaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized and invasive in Hawaii, Florida, and Fiji
  
• Naturalized across the Hawaiian Islands (Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Maui, and Hawai'i)
  
• Invades intact, undisturbed forests
  
• Forms dense, shady thickets
  
• Shade-tolerant, colonizes forest understories
  
• Bird-dispersed fleshy fruits
  
• Prolific seed production
  
• Fast-growing; reaches maturity in ~3 years
  
• Resprouts after cutting
  
• Tolerant of wide soil types
  
• Host to plant pathogens (e.g., Alternaria panax)
  
• Aggressive, spreading root system

Low Risk Traits:

• Lacks spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• No persistent seed bank (seeds germinate readily)
  
• Controllable with herbicides (Imazapyr, Glyphosate, Triclopyr)