Family: Malvaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Reported to be naturalized in Puerto Rico, and possibly other locations
  
• Toxic to cats and dogs
  
• Potential host of pests and pathogens
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Shade-tolerant (could establish in intact forest understories)
  
• Reproduces by seeds (facilitating possible naturalization)
  
• Some genetic types may be self-compatible
  
• Seeds dispersed by frugivorous mammals and intentionally by people
  
• Able to coppice

Low Risk Traits:

• Despite widespread cultivation, no confirmed reports of invasiveness outside native range
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Palatable to grazing animals
  
• Valued for seeds (used in cocoa production)
  
• Several genetic types are self-incompatible
  
• Not reported to spread vegetatively
  
• Large seeds valued for cocoa and unlikely to be accidentally dispersed
  
• Sensitive to herbicides (could provide effective control if needed)