This small, scrubby tree forms thickets which crowd out other plants. On Lana'i, it has infested goat eroded ridgetops, resulting in their stabilization. It appears to have allelopathic activity like many other members of the Myrtaceae. The seeds are dispersed by wind. Its response to fire in Hawai'i has not been established, nor has it been evaluated for biological control.

It is found in mesic habitats between 300-700 m elevation. The principal infestations are on Lana'i and above La'ie in the Ko'olau Mountains, O'ahu.

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