Family: Araliaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
  
• Grows in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on Oahu, Hawaii and possibly Maui (Hawaiian Islands), and elsewhere
  
• Regarded as an aggressive garden and landscaping weed, spreading aggressively from original planting site
  
• Considered an environmental weed in New Zealand and Australia, outcompeting native vegetation
  
• Pollen and irritating hairs may cause dermatitis
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Forms dense stands that exclude other vegetation
  
• Reproduces by seeds and primarily by suckering
  
• Fleshy-fruited and presumably dispersed by birds, as well as intentionally cultivated by people
  
• Able to resprout after cutting or winter dieback

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Ornamental and cultural uses
  
• Low seed viability reported, which may limit spread to localized suckering
  
• Herbicides may provide effective control