Family: Asteraceae

High Risk Traits:

• Elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
  
• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii (Hawaiian Islands) and widely naturalize elsewhere
  
• Disturbance and crop weed; potential environmental weed
  
• Other Tithonia species are invasive
  
• Allelopathic
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Forms dense stands
  
• Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by suckers, fragments and coppices
  
• Able to reach maturity in <1 year in certain environments
  
• Seeds and fragments dispersed by wind, water, animals, people and as a contaminant
  
• Prolific seed production
  
• Able to coppice and resprout after cutting

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Provides fodder for livestock (palatable despite reports of toxicity)
  
• Ornamental
  
• Thrives in full sun (may limit spread into shaded habitats)
  
• Herbicides may provide effective control