Hawaii's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants
This is a list of the worst invasive horticultural plants in Hawaii as put forth by the Hawaii State Alien Species Coordinator (Hawaii State Department of Land & Natural Resources [DLNR], Division of Forestry &Wildlife [DOFAW]) (May 2001). It is urged that species on this list not be grown anywhere in the state of Hawaii.
For more information about invasiveness of these & other horticultural plants, the problems they cause, and the criteria by which these species were selected for this list, see DLNR's website Hawaii's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants: An Introduction .
Questions? Comments? Write: webmaster@hear.org
| Species (Family) | Common Name | Other names |
|---|---|---|
| Acacia confusa (Fabaceae) | Formosan koa | |
| Angiopteris evecta (Marattiaceae) | mule's foot fern | giant fern |
| Antigonon leptopus (Polygonaceae) | Mexican creeper | mountain rose, coral bells, confederate vine, chain-of-love, hearts-on-a-chain |
| Ardisia crenata (Myrsinaceae) | Hilo holly | hens eyes, Ardisia crispa, Ardisia crenulata |
| Ardisia elliptica (Myrsinaceae) | shoebutton ardisia | Ardisia humilis, Ardisia solanacea, Ardisia squamulosa |
| Artabotrys hexapetalus (Annonaceae) | climbing ylang-ylang | lanalana |
| Arthrostema ciliatum (Melastomataceae) | arthrostemma | Arthrostemma latifolia, Arthrostemma fragile |
| Asparagus densiflorus (Liliaceae) | asparagus fern | sprengeri fern, foxtail asparagus, Asparagus sprengeri Regel |
| Asparagus setaceus (Liliaceae) | climbing asparagus fern | plumosa, Asparagus plumosus Baker, Protasparagus plumosus |
| Azolla (all species) (Azollaceae) | mosquito fern | ferny azolla |
| Buddleja davidii (Buddlejaceae) | orange-eyed butterfly bush | summer lilac, buddleia |
| Buddleja madagascariensis (Buddlejaceae) | butterfly bush | smoke bush, buddleia |
| Carmona retusa (Boraginaceae) | Fukien tea | Philippine tea, Carmona microphylla, Ehretia buxifolia, Ehretia microphylla |
| Casuarina (all species) (Casuarinaceae) | ironwood | Australian pine, she-oak, beefwood, toa |
| Cestrum diurnum (Solanaceae) | day cestrum | makahala, Chinese inkberry |
| Cestrum nocturnum (Solanaceae) | night cestrum | night-blooming jasmine, 'Ala-aumoe, kupaoa, onaona-iapana |
| Chrysophyllum oliviforme (Sapotaceae) | satin leaf | caimitillo; Chrysophyllum monopyrenum |
| Cinnamomum burmannii (Lauraceae) | Padang cassia | cinnamon tree |
| Cissus nodosa (Vitaceae) | grape ivy | |
| Citharexylum caudatum (Verbenaceae) | fiddlewood | juniper berry |
| Citharexylum spinosum (Verbenaceae) | fiddlewood | Citharexylum quadrangulare |
| Clerodendrum buchanani (Verbenaceae) | pagoda flower | lau'awa, Clerodendrum fallax, C. speciosissimum |
| Clerodendrum chinense (Verbenaceae) | glory bower | Clerodendrum philippinum, Clerodendrum fragrans |
| Clerodendrum macrostegium (Verbenaceae) | (no common name) | |
| Clusia rosea (Clusiaceae) | autograph tree | copey, Scotch attorney |
| Coccinia grandis (Cucurbitaceae) | ivy gourd | scarlet-fruited gourd |
| Conocarpus erectus (Combretaceae) | buttonwood | sea mulberry, button mangrove |
| Cortaderia jubata and Cortaderia selloana (Poaceae) | pampas grass | |
| Cotoneaster pannosus (Rosaceae) | cotoneaster | |
| Cryptostegia (all species) (Asclepidaceae) | rubber vine, India rubber vine | (includes Cryptostegia grandiflora and Cryptostegia madagascariensis) |
| Cupaniopsis anacardioides (Sapindaceae) | carrotwood | |
| Delairea odorata (Asteraceae) | German ivy | Senecio mikanioides, Italian ivy, African ivy, Cape ivy, climbing groundsel |
| Dillenia suffruticosa (Dilleniaceae) | shrubby simpoh | |
| Duranta erecta (Verbenaceae) | golden dewdrop | duranta, pigeon berry, Duranta repens |
| Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae) | water hyacinth | |
| Elaeagnus umbellata (Elaeagnaceae) | oleaster | autumn olive |
| Erigeron karvinskianus (Asteraceae) | daisy fleabane | Mexican daisy |
| Eriobotrya japonica (Rosaceae) | loquat | Japanese medlar |
| Ficus cf. platypoda (Moraceae) | Port Jackson fig (local name) | (this plant is commonly referred to in Hawaii incorrectly as Ficus rubiginosa) |
| Ficus microcarpa (Moraceae) | Chinese banyan | Malayan banyan, Ficus retusa, Ficus nitida |
| Fuchsia boliviana (Onagraceae) | fuchsia | lady's eardrops |
| Fuchsia magellanica (Onagraceae) | hardy fuchsia | lady's eardrops, earring flower, kulapepeiao |
| Fuchsia paniculata (Onagraceae) | fuchsia | Lady's eardrops |
| Furcraea foetida (Agavaceae) | Mauritius hemp | maguey, Furcraea gigantea |
| Grevillea robusta (Proteaceae) | silk oak | she oak, he oak, silver oak, kahili flower, spider flower, ha'iku-ke'oke'o |
| Hedychium coronarium (Zingiberaceae) | white ginger | butterfly lily, ginger lily, garland flower, 'awapuhi-ke'oke'o |
| Hedychium flavescens (Zingiberaceae) | yellow ginger | cream ginger, 'awapuhi-melemele |
| Hedychium gardnerianum (Zingiberaceae) | kahili ginger | |
| Heterocentron subtriplinervium (Melastomataceae) | pearl flower | |
| Hiptage benghalensis (Malpighiaceae) | hiptage | |
| Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae) | hydrilla | water thyme, Florida elodea |
| Jasminum fluminense (Oleaceae) | jasmine | Jasminum azoricum |
| Kalanchoe delagoensis (Crassulaceae) | chandelier plant | Kalanchoë tubiflora, Bryophyllum tubiflorum, Kalanchoe verticillata |
| Kalanchoe pinnata (Crassulaceae) | air plant | life plant, 'oliwa ku kahakai, Bryophyllum pinnatum, Cotyledon pinnata |
| Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) | lantana | lakana, mikinolia-hihiu, sage |
| Lemna (all species) (Lemnaceae) | duckweed | |
| Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae) | New Zealand tea | manuka |
| Ligustrum lucidum (Oleaceae) | tree privet | broadleaf privet |
| Ligustrum sinense (Oleaceae) | Chinese privet | hedge privet, small-leaved privet |
| Lonicera japonica (Caprifoliaceae) | Japanese honeysuckle | honekakala |
| Medinilla cumingii (Melastomataceae) | medinilla | |
| Medinilla venosa (Melastomataceae) | medinilla | |
| Melaleuca quinquenervia (Myrtaceae) | paperbark | cajeput tree |
| Melastoma candidum (Melastomataceae) | Indian rhododendron | Melastoma malabathricum, Malabar melastome |
| Melastoma sanguineum (Melastomataceae) | fox-tongued melastoma | |
| Melia azedarach (Meliaceae) | Chinaberry | pride-of-India, margosa tree |
| Miconia calvescens (Melastomataceae) | miconia | velvet tree, purple plague |
| Montanoa hibiscifolia (Asteraceae) | tree daisy | |
| Najas (all species) (Najadaceae) | naiad | pondweed |
| Nymphaea (all species) (Nymphaceae) | water lily | |
| Ochna thomasiana (Ochnaceae) | Mickey Mouse plant | ochna, Ochna kirkii |
| Olea europaea (Oleaceae) | olive | 'oliwa |
| Passiflora laurifolia (Passifloraceae) | yellow granadilla | yellow water lemon, bell apple |
| Pennisetum setaceum (Poaceae) | fountain grass | Pennisetum ruppelii |
| Philadelphus karwinskyanus (Hydrangeaceae) | mock orange | philadelphus, syringa |
| Photinia davidiana (Rosaceae) | photinia | Stranvaesia davidiana, Cotoneaster frigidus |
| Pimenta dioica (Myrtaceae) | allspice | Pimenta officinalis |
| Pimenta racemosa (Myrtaceae) | bay-rum | malagueta, bay tree, Pimenta acris |
| Pinus patula (Pinaceae) | Mexican weeping pine | jelecote pine, patula pine, pino triste |
| Pistia stratiotes (Araceae) | water lettuce | |
| Pittosporum pentandrum (Pittosporaceae) | mamalis | |
| Pittosporum undulatum (Pittosporaceae) | Victorian box | Victorian laurel, orange pittosporum |
| Pittosporum viridiflorum (Pittosporaceae) | Cape pittosporum | |
| Platycerium bifurcatum (Polypodiaceae) | elkhorn fern | common staghorn fern |
| Psidium cattleianum (Myrtaceae) | strawberry guava | waiawi-'ula'ula |
| Pyracantha angustifolia (Rosaceae) | firethorn | |
| Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Myrtaceae) | rose myrtle | downy myrtle |
| Rubus (all species) (Rosaceae) | blackberry, raspberry | thimbleberry, brambles, 'ohelo 'ele 'ele |
| Ruellia devosiana (Acanthaceae) | Ruellia | |
| Salvinia (all species) (Salviniaceae) | floating fern | |
| Schefflera actinophylla (Araliaceae) | octopus tree | Brassaia actinophylla, umbrella tree |
| Schinus molle (Anacardiaceae) | pepper tree | California pepper tree |
| Schinus terebinthifolius (Anacardiaceae) | Christmas berry | Brazilian pepper, wilelaiki, nani-o-hilo |
| Solandra maxima (Solanaceae) | cup-of-gold | golden cup, chalice vine |
| Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae) | African tulip tree | fountain tree, fire bell |
| Sphaeropteris cooperi (Cyatheaceae) | Australian treefern | Cyathea cooperi |
| Sphagneticola trilobata (Asteraceae) | wedelia | Wedelia trilobata |
| Stapelia gigantea (Asclepiadaceae) | carrion flower | starfish flower, Zulu-giant, giant toad plant |
| Tamarix (all species) (Tamaricaceae) | ? | |
| Terminalia catappa (Combretaceae) | tropical almond | Indian almond, false kamani, kamani-haole |
| Tetrazygia bicolor (Melastomataceae) | (no common name) | |
| Thunbergia grandiflora (Acanthaceae) | Bengal trumpet | blue trumpet vine, large-flowered thunbergia |
| Thunbergia laurifolia (Acanthaceae) | laurel-leaved thunbergia | |
| Tibouchina herbacea (Melastomataceae) | cane tibouchina | glorybush |
| Tibouchina urvilleana (Melastomataceae) | glorybush | princess flower, lasiandra |
| Verbascum thapsus (Scrophulariaceae) | common mullein | woolly mullein, velvet plant |