University of Hawaii

Botany Department

Alien Plants in Hawaii

This is an abridged version of the site developed by Dr. Clifford W. Smith, cliff@hawaii.edu. (Sponsored by the Botany Department and the National Park Service Cooperative Park Studies Unit of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.)  The full version of this site can be found at Hawaiian Alien Plant Studies.  This version includes only species for which illustrations are available, and as additional illustrations have become available, new species have been added to the list that may not appear on the "full" version.

Most recent additions: February 23, 2000

Pest Plants of Hawaiian Native Ecosystems - Alien plant species that are among the greatest threats to native Hawaiian biota.

• Acacia confusa; Formosan koa; Mimosaceae
• Acacia farnesiana; klu, popinac; Mimosaceae
• Acacia mearnsii; black wattle; Mimosaceae
• Ailanthus altissima; tree of heaven; Simaroubaceae
• Andropogon virginicus; broomsedge, yellow bluestem; Poaceae
• Angiopteris evecta; mules foot, Madagascar tree fern; Marattiaceae
• Anthoxanthum odoratum; sweet vernalgrass; Poaceae
• Ardisia elliptica; shoebutton ardisia; Myrsinaceae
• Asystasia gangetica; Chinese violet; Acanthaceae
• Bidens pilosa; beggar's tick, Spanish needle; Asteraceae
• Bocconia frutescens; bocconia; Papaveraceae
• Boerhavia coccinea; boerhavia; Nyctaginaceae
• Brachiaria subquadripara; brachiaria; Poaceae
• Brachiaria mutica; California grass; Poaceae
• Bruguiera gymnorrhiza; oriental mangrove; Rhizophoraceae
• Caesalpinia decapetala; cats claw, Mysore thorn, wait-a-bit; Caesalpiniaceae
• Casuarina equisetifolia; common ironwood; Casuarinaceae
• Cecropia obtusifolia; trumpet tree, guarumo; Cecropiaceae
• Cenchrus ciliaris; buffelgrass; Poaceae
• Cenchrus echinatus; common sandbur; Poaceae
• Cestrum nocturnum; night cestrum; Solanaceae
• Chamaesyce prostrata; prostrate spurge; Euphorbiaceae
• Chloris barbata; swollen fingergrass, mau‘u lei; Poaceae
• Chloris virgata; feather fingergrass; Poaceae
• Cinchona pubescens; quinine tree; Rubiaceae
• Cinnamomum burmannii; padang cassia; Lauraceae
• Citharexylum spinosum; fiddlewood; Verbenaceae
• Clidemia hirta; Koster's curse; Melastomataceae
• Coccinia grandis; ivy gourd, scarlet-fruited gourd; Cucurbitaceae
• Corynocarpus laevigatus; New Zealand laurel, karakaranut; Corynocarpaceae
• Crotalaria pallida; smooth rattlepod, pikakani; Fabaceae
• Cynodon dactylon; Bermuda grass; Poaceae
• Cyperus rotundus; nut grass, kili‘p‘opu; Cyperaceae
• Dactylis glomerata; orchard grass, cocksfoot; Poaceae
• Desmodium sandwicense; Spanish or chili clover, pua pilipili; Fabaceae
• Digitaria ciliaris; Henry's crabgrass; Poaceae
• Digitaria insularis; sourgrass; Poaceae
• Digitaria violascens; smooth or violet crabgrass; Poaceae
• Elaeagnus umbellata; oleaster; Elaeagnaceae
• Eleusine indica; wiregrass, manienie ali‘i; Poaceae
• Eragrostis sp.; lovegrass; Poaceae
• Eriobotrya japonica; loquat; Rosaceae
• Ficus microcarpa; Chinese banyon, Maylayan banyon; Moraceae
• Furcraea foetida; Mauritius hemp; Agavaceae
• Grevillea banksii; kahili flower; Proteaceae
• Grevillea robusta; silky oak, silver oak; Proteaceae
• Hedychium coronarium; white ginger; Zingiberaceae
• Hedychium flavescens; yellow ginger, awapuhi melemele; Zingiberaceae
• Hedychium gardnerianum; kahili ginger; Zingiberaceae
• Heterocentron subtriplinervium; pearl flower; Melastomataceae
• Holcus lanatus; common velvet grass, Yorkshire fog; Poaceae
• Hunnemannia fumariifolia; Mexican tulip poppy; Papaveraceae
• Hypochoeris radicata; hairy cat's ear, gosmore; Asteraceae
• Kyllinga nemoralis; kili‘o‘opu; Cyperaceae
• Lantana camara; lantana; Verbenaceae
• Leonotis nepetifolia; lion's ear; Lamiaceae
• Leucaena leucocephala; koa haole; Mimosaceae
• Lonicera japonica; Japanese honeysuckle; Caprifoliaceae
• Melaleuca quinquenervia; paper bark, cajeput; Myrtaceae
• Melastoma candidum; Indian rhododendron; Melastomataceae
• Melia azedarach; Chinaberry, pride-of-India; Meliaceae
• Melinis minutiflora; molasses grass; Poaceae
• Melochia umbellata; melochia; Sterculiaceae
• Merremia tuberosa; wood rose; Convolvulaceae
• Miconia calvescens; miconia; Melastomataceae
• Montanoa hibiscifolia; tree daisy, montanoa; Asteraceae
• Myrica faya; firetree, fayatree; Myricaceae
• Olea europaea ssp. africana; olive; Oleaceae
• Panicum maximum; Guinea grass; Poaceae
• Paraserianthes falcataria; Moluccca albizia; Mimosaceae
• Paspalum conjugatum; Hilo grass; Poaceae
• Paspalum dilatatum; Dallis grass; Poaceae
• Paspalum fimbriatum; fimbriate or Panama paspalum, Colombia grass; Poaceae
• Paspalum urvillei; Vasey grass; Poaceae
• Passiflora edulis; passion fruit, liliko'i, purple granadilla; Passifloraceae
• Passiflora ligularis; sweet granadilla; Passifloraceae
• Passiflora mollissima; banana poka; Passifloraceae
• Passiflora suberosa; huehue haole; Passifloraceae
• Pennisetum clandestinum; kikuyu grass; Poaceae
• Pennisetum purpureum; elephant grass, Napier grass; Poaceae
• Pennisetum setaceum; fountain grass; Poaceae
• Phormium tenax; New Zealand flax, New Zealand hemp; Agavaceae
• Pithecellobium dulce; opiuma; Mimosaceae
• Pluchea indica; Indian fleabane, Indian pluchea; Asteraceae
• Pluchea symphytifolia; sourbush; Asteraceae
• Prosopis pallida; mesquite, kiawe, algaroba; Mimosaceae
• Psidium cattleianum; strawberry guava; Myrtaceae
• Psidium guajava; guava; Myrtaceae
• Pyracantha angustifolia; firethorn; Rosaceae
• Rhizophora mangle; red mangrove, american mangrove; Rhizophoraceae
• Rhodomyrtus tomentosa; rose myrtle, downy myrtle; Myrtaceae
• Rhynchelytrum repens; Natal redtop, Natal grass; Poaceae
• Ricinus communis; castor bean; Euphorbiaceae
• Rubus argutus; prickly Florida blackberry; Rosaceae
• Rubus ellipticus; yellow Himalyan raspberry; Rosaceae
• Rubus rosifolius; thimbleberry, Mauritius raspberry; Rosaceae
• Sacciolepis indica; Glenwood grass; Poaceae
• Samanea saman; monkeypod, rain tree, 'ohai; Mimosaceae
• Schefflera actinophylla; umbrella tree, octopus tree; Araliaceae
• Schinus terebinthifolius; Christmasberry; Anacardiaceae
• Schizachyrium condensatum; bush beardgrass, little bluestem; Poaceae
• Senecio mikanioides; German ivy, Italian ivy; Asteraceae
• Setaria gracilis; yellow or perennial foxtail; Poaceae
• Sorghum halapense; Johnson grass; Poaceae
• Spathodea campanulata; African tulip tree; Bignoniaceae
• Sporobolus indicus; West Indian dropseed, smutgrass; Poaceae
• Stachytarpheta urticifolia; Verbenaceae
• Swietenia mahagoni; mahogany; Meliaceae
• Syzygium cumini; Java plum, jambolan plum; Myrtaceae
• Syzygium jambos; rose apple; Myrtaceae
• Tagetes minuta; stinkweed, marigold; Asteraceae
• Terminalia catappa; tropical almond, false kamani, kamani-haole; Combretaceae
• Thunbergia grandiflora; Bengal trumpet, blue trumpet vine; Acanthaceae
• Thunbergia laurifolia; purple allamanda, laurel-leaved thunbergia; Acanthaceae
• Tibouchina herbacea; glorybush, cane ti; Melastomataceae
• Tibouchina urvilleana; lasiandra; Melastomataceae
• Tithonia diversifolia; tree marigold; Asteraceae
• Toona ciliata; Australian red cedar; Meliaceae
• Trema orientalis; charcoal tree, gunpowder tree; Ulmaceae
• Tridax procumbens; coat buttons
• Triumfetta semitriloba; Sacramento bur; Tiliaceae
• Ulex europaeus; gorse, furze, whin; Fabaceae
• Urena lobata; aramina; Malvaceae
• Verbascum thapsus; mullein; Scrophulariaceae

• Wedelia trilobata; wedelia; Asteraceae

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