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HAWAIʻI FORESTRY & AGROFORESTRY TREES


 

Welcome to the Hawaiʻi Forestry and Agroforestry Trees Website

 

The photographs here illustrate the most commonly planted trees in Hawaiʻi. To find photographs of a tree species, click on the links on the scientific names below. There you may view thumbnail photos as well as larger images. To find a common name, use the "find in page" command in your browser.

 

Many different trees may share a common name, for example, "ironwood" may refer to several different, unrelated species. The first common name listed under each species is the name listed in Little and Skolmen's Common Forest Trees of Hawaiʻi (USDA Forest Service Agriculture Handbook No. 679, 1989), if applicable.

 

In some cases other Pacific Island names are included. Common names in Hawaiian and other Pacific Island languages are spelled without diacritical marks (the okina and kahako, in Hawaiian), as some internet browsers do not support these.

 

These illustrations describe trees which have been most commonly planted in Hawaii. They are not recommendations.

 

Some tree species, for example Falcataria moluccana and Grevillea robusta, have escaped cultivation and have become serious pests in natural forests in Hawaii. Please do not plant trees which may become weeds in our natural ecosystems. In the information under each species, the Hawaiʻi Weed Risk Assessment (hpwra.org) score has been listed. The Weed Risk Assessment system is a process that has been developed by Dr. Curt Daehler of UH Botany and Dr. Julie Denslow of the USDA Forest Service to help growers decide what plant species to avoid and which are safe to plant. More information on the system is available on the UH Botany webpage.

  • A tall koa (Acacia koa) in a forest on Hawai‘i Island of the form that once yielded logs for sailing canoes.

    Koa
  • Coconut (Cocos nucifera).

    Niu
  • In front of the forest is a field of giant swamp taro, Cyrtosperma merkusii. Coconuts (Cocos nucifera), betel nut pepper (Piper betel), and many cultivars of banana (Musa) are also grown along with the betel nut. Yap, Federated States of Micronesia.

    Areca catechu betel nut agroforest


 


List of species names and common names

  • Acacia auriculiformis, northern or Darwin black wattle
  • Acacia confusa, Formosa koa, small Philippine acacia, yanangi (Palau)
  • Acacia koa, koa
  • Acacia koaia, koaia
  • Acacia mangium, brown salwood
  • Acacia mearnsii, syn. Acacia decurrens, black wattle
  • Acacia melanoxylon, blackwood acacia
  • Agathis robusta, Queensland kauri
  • Albizia chinensis, chocolate heart albizia, sauce tree, sau tree, siris
  • Albizia lebbeck, syn. Albizia lebbek, Acacia lebbek, Mimosa lebbeck, siris, Indian siris, East Indian walnut
  • Aleurites moluccana, kukui, candlenut tree, tutui, varnish tree, candleberry tree, lumbang (Guam), sakan (Palau), lama (Samoa), Indian or Belgaum walnut
  • Alnus nepalensis, Nepalese alder, Nepal alder, Indian alder
  • Alstonia scholaris, devil tree
  • Angophora costata, lanceleaf gum-myrtle
  • Araucaria bidwillii, bunya-bunya pine, false monkey puzzle tree
  • Araucaria columnaris, columnar araucaria, "Norfolk Island pine", Cook pine, Cook araucaria
  • Araucaria heterophylla, Norfolk Island Pine
  • Artocarpus altilis, ulu (Hawaii, Samoa), breadfruit, dodog (Guam), lemai (Northern Marianas), arudo (Palau), maa (Yap), mai (Chuuk, Pohnpei), mohs (Kosrae), ma (Marshalls)
  • Artocarpus heterophyllus, Jackfruit, Jakfruit, Jaca, Nangka
  • Azadirachta indica, neem, Persian lilac, Indian lilac, paradise tree, bead tree, cornucopia, margosa
  • Bishofia javanica, koka, toog, bishopwood
  • Broussonetia papyrifera, wauke, paper mulberry
  • Calliandra calothyrsus, calliandra, red calliandra
  • Calophyllum inophyllum, kamani, Alexandrian laurel, beautyleaf, Borneo mahogany, beach mahogany, poon, oil nut tree (English), kamani, kamanu (Hawaii), dilo (Fiji), beach Calophyllum (Papua New Guinea), daog or daok (Guam, Northern Marianas), btaches (Palau), biyuch (Yap), rakich (Chuuk), isou (Pohnpei), eet (Kosrae), lueg (Marshalls), fetau (Samoa), fetau (Tonga), tamanu (Cook Islands, Society Islands, Marquesas), te itai (Kiribati)
  • Cananga odorata, ylang-ylang, perfume tree (English); lanalana (Hawaii); chiráng, irang (Palau); derangerang, derangirang (Nauru); ilahnglahng, ilanlang (Kosrae); ilang-ilang, alang-ilang (Guam, CNMI); ilangilang, lengileng, alangilang, pur-n-wai, pwurenwai, seir en wai (Pohnpei); ilanilan (Marshall Islands); makosoi, mokohoi, makasui, mokosoi (Fiji); mohokoi (Tonga); mosooi (Samoa); motoi (Society Islands); moto'oi, mata'oi, mato'oi (Cook Islands, Niue, Tahiti); motoi (Marquesas-Nukuhiva, Niue); mutui (Marquesas-Fatuhiva); pwalang (Puluwat Atoll); pwanang, pwuur, pwalang (Chuuk); sao (Solomon Islands);
  • Casuarina cunnighamiana, river-oak casuarina, small-cone ironwood, Australian pine, beefwood
  • Casuarina equisetifolia, horsetail casuarina, ironwood, coast she-oak, whistling pine, Australian pine, horsetail beefwood, Australian oak, swamp oak, toa (Samoa)
  • Casuarina glauca, longleaf casuarina, longleaf ironwood, swamp she-oak
  • Cedrela odorata, Spanish cedar, West Indian cedar, cigar box cedar, cedarwood
  • Cocos nucifera, coconut, niu (Hawaii and Polynesia), iru (Palau), lu (Yap, Kosrae), ni (Pohnpei, Marshall Island), nu (Chuuk, Cook Islands), te ni (Kiribas), nizok (Northern Marianas), niyog (Guam, Philippines)
  • Cordia subcordata, kou (Hawaii), sea trumpet, beach cordia, tauanave (American Samoa), puataukanave (Tonga), vaua asi (Solomon Islands), kalau (Palau), te kanawa (Kiribati), koa (Guam), niyoron (Guam, northern Marianas), galu (Yap), ikoak (Kosrae), ikoik (Pohnpei), anau (Chuuk), nawanawa (Fiji), tou (Cook Islands), ironwood (Australia)
  • Corymbia citriodora, syn. Eucalyptus citriodora, lemon scented gum
  • Corymbia torelliana (syn Eucalyptus torelliana) blood leaf gum,cadaga
  • Cryptomeria japonica, Sugi pine, Japanese cedar
  • Cunninghamia lanceolata, syn. C. sinensis, Chinese fir
  • Cupressus lusitanica, syn. Cupressus glauca, Mexican cypress, Portuguese cypress
  • Cupressus macrocarpa, Monterey cypress
  • Dalbergia sissoo, sissoo, shisham
  • Elaeocarpus angustifolius, syn. Elaeocarpus grandis, blue marble, silver quandong
  • Eucalyptus cloeziana, Gympie messmate
  • Eucalyptus deglupta, bagras eucalyptus, rainbow gum, rainbow bark eucalyptus, kamarere, Mindanao gum, New Guinea gum, Indonesian gum, deglupta, amammanit eucalyptus
  • Eucalyptus dunnii, Dunn's white gum
  • Eucalyptus globulus, bluegum eucalpytus, southern bluegum, Tasmaniam bluegum
  • Eucalyptus grandis, rose gum, flooded gum
  • Eucalyptus microcorys, tallowwood
  • Eucalyptus robusta, robusta eucalyptus, swamp mahogany eucalyptus, swamp messmate, beakpod eucalyptus
  • Eucalyptus saligna, saligna eucalyptus, Sydney bluegum eucalyptus, flooded gum
  • Eucalyptus urophylla, Timor mountain gum
  • Falcataria moluccana, syn. Paraserianthes falcataria, Albizia falcataria, Molucca albizia, albizia, Moluccan sau, white siris
  • Flindersia brayleyana, Queensland maple, silkwood
  • Fraxinus uhdei, tropical ash, Mexican ash, Hawaiian ash, shamal ash, fresno (Spanish)
  • Gliricidia sepium, madre de cacao, mother of cocoa, Nicaragua cocoa shade, Mexican lilac, kakawate (Philippines), gamal (Indonesia)
  • Gmelina arborea, paper tree, white teak, candahar, yamane (Philippines), jati puti (Indonesia)
  • Grevillea robusta, silk oak, silver oak, oka kilika, haiku keokeo
  • Guaiacum officinale, lignum vitae
  • Heliotropium foertherianum (formerly Tournefortia argentea), tree heliotrope
  • Inga feuillei, ice cream bean
  • Intsia bijuga, ifit (Guam and Marianas), ifil (Micronesia), ifilele (Samoa), fehi fisi (Tonga), vesi (Fiji), merbau (Indonesia), ipil (Philippines), Borneo teak, Moluccan ironwood
  • Khaya nyasica, syn. Khaya anthotheca, African mahogany, East African mahogany
  • Khaya senegalensis, dry-zone mahogany, African mahogany, Senegal mahogany, khaya wood
  • Leucaena diversifolia
  • Leucaena leucocephala, koa haole, tangan-tangan (Guam, CNMI), ipil-ipil (Philippines), lamtoro (Indonesia), leadtree
  • Lophostemon confertus, syn. Tristania conferta, brushbox, Brisbane box, vinegar tree
  • Mangifera indica, mango, manako (Hawaii), iedel (Palau), manga (Yap), kangit (Chuuk and Pohnpei).
  • Melaleuca quinquenervia, paperbark, cajeput tree
  • Metrosideros polymorpha, ohia, ohia lehua
  • Morinda citrifolia, noni, Indian mulberry
  • Moringa oleifera, marunggay, malunggay, kalamunggay, horseradish tree
  • Olea europaea, wild olive, oliwa
  • Pinus radiata (syn. P. insignis), Monterey pine, insignis pine.
  • Pithecellobium dulce, opiuma, Manila tamarind
  • Pterocarpus indicus, narra, New Guinea rosewood, bluewater, sand dragon, Burmese rosewood
  • Samanea saman, ohai, monkeypod tree, rain tree
  • Santalum album, Indian sandalwood, sandal, white sandalwood tree, East Indian sandalwood
  • Santalum paniculatum, iliahi, sandalwood
  • Senna siamea, syn. Cassia siamea, Siamese cassia, pheasantwood, Thailand shower, kassod tree
  • Sequoia sempervirens, redwood
  • Swietenia macrophylla, big leaf mahogany, large leaf mahogany, Honduras mahogany
  • Swietenia mahagoni, small leaf mahogany, West Indies mahogany, Cuban mahogany, Dominican mahogany
  • Syncarpia glomulifera, turpentine tree
  • Syzygium malaccense, mountain apple, Malay apple, ohia ai (Hawaii), acpuhl, (Kosrae), ahia (Societies), apel (Pohnpei), arfatlh, harafath, faliap, faliyap (Yap), faariyap, fasniyaap, feniyap (Chuuk), fekakai (Niue), fekika kai (Tonga), jambosier rouge, poire de Malaque, pomme Malac, pomme de Malaisie, pomme de Tahiti (French), kaika (Cooks), kafika (Uvea, Futuna), kavika (Fiji), keika (Mangareva), kehia (Southern Marquesas), kehika, kehika inana (Northern Marquesas), kidel (Palau), makupa (Guam), nonu fiafia (Samoa)
  • Tabebuia donnell-smithii, syn. Roseodendron donnell-smithii, Goldtree, primavera
  • Tamarindus indica, tamarind
  • Tectona grandis, teak, Bangkok teak
  • Terminalia catappa, Indian almond, tropical almond, false kamani, kamani haole, kamani ula.
  • Terminalia myriocarpa, jhalna, hollock
  • Thespesia populnea, milo (Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga), portia tree, Pacific rosewood, seaside mahoe, Indian tulip tree, badrirt (Palau), banalo (Northern Marianas), bang-beng (Yap), kilulo (Guam), mio (Marquesas), miro, amae (Rarotonga, Society Islands), mulomulo (Fiji), panu (Kosrae), polo (Chuuk), pone (Pohnpei)
  • Toona ciliata, Australian toon, Australian redcedar, Indian mahogany

References

For more detailed information about the trees listed on this site, see the reference links below.

References

Copyright Notice. These photographs may be freely used for educational purposes. Please contact the photographer if you wish to duplicate any photographs for presentations, websites, or publications. Written permission of the photographer is required for any commercial use of any images on these pages.

Photographs courtesy of J. B. Friday, Mike Robinson, Thom McEvoy, Mike Robotham, John Kitakis, Ken Boche, Layne Yoshida, Travis Idol, and Bart Potter.


Positive impact forestry is not intended to follow the path of modern agriculture,
to convert forests into farms, or to remake forests in the image of humans.

- Thom McEvoy, Positive Impact Forestry, 2004, Island Press


If you require information in an alternative format, please contact us at: jbfriday@hawaii.edu