Family: Fabaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Tamarindus indica (tamarind) is native to Madagascar and the Comoros, but it has been widely cultivated across the tropics for thousands of years and is now grown throughout warm regions worldwide. It is a long-lived, spreading tree that develops a broad, dense canopy and is often planted for shade in home gardens, farms, parks, and along roadsides. The tree is best known for its distinctive pod-like fruits, which contain a sticky, tangy pulp widely used in cooking, beverages, chutneys, and sauces. Tamarind also has a long history of traditional medicinal use, and its durable wood is valued for fuel, tools, and woodworking.

Risks & Threats
In Hawaiʻi, Tamarindus indica is naturalized on Molokaʻi and potentially naturalizing on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island. While it is established in some areas, it is generally considered low risk because it does not spread aggressively into intact native ecosystems and tends to remain associated with cultivated or disturbed sites. Seed dispersal can occur locally, especially where fruit is discarded or eaten by animals, but widespread invasive behavior has not been observed. Continued monitoring is appropriate in naturalizing areas, but overall tamarind is regarded as a useful, culturally significant tree with limited ecological threat in Hawaiʻi when managed responsibly.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized in Asia, Florida, and Jamaica
  
• Naturalized on Molokai; potentially naturalizing on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi
  
• Widely introduced and cultivated globally
  
• Tolerates diverse soils (alkaline, saline, infertile)
  
• Dispersed intentionally by people
  
• Seeds survive gut passage (animal-dispersed)
  
• Coppices after fire or cutting

Low Risk Traits:

• Not a weed (no garden, agricultural, or environmental weed status)
  
• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• Palatable to livestock
  
• Non-toxic to animals and humans
  
• Not shade-tolerant (requires full sun)
  
• Predominantly outcrossing (low self-pollination)
  
• Slow to reproduce (6–12 years to fruiting)
  
• Moderate seed production (not prolific)