Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_santalum_ellipticum
Coastal sandalwood
Santalum ellipticum
Open this record in the interactive Atlas
About Coastal sandalwood
Coastal sandalwood (Santalum ellipticum) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Sprawling shrub or small tree 1–5 m tall.
Kauaʻi evidence
Taxonomy, nativity, island-level occurrence, growth form, names, and source conservation assessments are documented in the 2026 census audit. Broader ecology and conservation recommendations still require claim-level source review. Generated imagery is not occurrence evidence.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Santalum ellipticum
- Common names
- Coastal sandalwood
- Hawaiian names
- ʻiliahi
- Other names
- Coastal sandalwood · Santalum ellipticum · Santalum album var. ellipticum · Santalum cuneatum · Santalum cuneatum f. gracilius · Santalum cuneatum var. gracilius · Santalum cuneatum var. laysanicum · Santalum ellipticum var. gracilius · Santalum ellipticum var. littorale · Santalum freycinetianum var. cuneatum · Santalum freycinetianum var. ellipticum · Santalum freycinetianum var. littorale · Santalum littorale · ʻiliahi · sandalwood · ʻiliahialoʻe · coast sandalwood
- Record type
- Species or taxonomic group
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Recorded on Kauaʻi
- Origin
- Endemic
- Conservation status
- Smithsonian checklist assessment: Apparently Secure; U.S. source status: No Status
- Evidence date
- 2026-10-05
- Evidence limits
- Island-level occurrence is retained; finer locality is intentionally withheld. Growth-form tags describe the taxon across its range, not a measured Kauaʻi population. Checklist source statuses are not a new legal-status determination.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Coastal dry shrubland · Rocky slopes
- Food and resource needs
- Light, water, nutrients, and suitable soil or substrate
- Reproduction
- Viable propagules and suitable establishment conditions
- Shelter
- Suitable soil, substrate, and vegetation structure
- Growth form
- Tree; Shrub
Threats and conservation
- Threats
- Overharvest history, fire, weeds, browsing
- Conservation actions
- Dryland restoration, genetic/source tracking, browsing control
- Monitoring
- Dryland restoration, genetic/source tracking, browsing control
- Data gaps
- Additional ecological and conservation citations are recommended
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Not assessed
- Seasonal description
- Coastal sandalwood (Santalum ellipticum) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Sprawling shrub or small tree 1–5 m tall.
.jpg){kind=link}