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 |
This page was created on 03 May 2001, and was reviewed on 09 May 2017. The list was compiled by Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR).