Turpentine Tree

Kauaʻi evidence

Taxonomic identity, tree form, diagnostic morphology and island occurrence use the linked reviewed sources. Historical planting, cultivation, naturalization and invasive status are separate. Generated imagery is not occurrence evidence. The 1918–1959 Kauaʻi reforestation working register records 5,542 plants under Syncarpia glomulifera across 9 entries dated 1943–1950. These are recorded planting quantities, not counts of surviving trees, and they do not by themselves establish current persistence, naturalization, or ecological impact. Source: Kauaʻi Reforestation Plantings 1918–1959 working register (user-supplied; reconciled 6 October 2026).

Names and classification

Scientific name

Syncarpia glomulifera

Common names

Turpentine Tree · Turpentine

Other names

Syncarpia glomulifera · Turpentine tree · Turpentine · Metrosideros glomulifera

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Recorded on Kauaʻi

Origin

Introduced

Conservation status

Not yet assessed

Evidence date

2026-10-06

Evidence limits

Present island-wide abundance, occupied habitat, recruitment, population trend, and ecological effects have not been quantified; no invasive severity is inferred from checklist, Polynesian-introduction, forestry, or planting status.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Not yet assessed

Food and resource needs

Not yet assessed

Reproduction

Cream flowers are insect-visited, and fused woody capsule clusters release many small seeds after maturation. Successful recruitment requires seed release and exposed suitable substrate; Kauaʻi-specific pollinators, dispersal distance, and recruitment are unknown.

Shelter

Not yet assessed

Growth form

Tree

Threats and conservation

Monitoring

Not yet assessed

Data gaps

Current population extent and trajectory · Additional species-specific ecological and conservation sources

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Not yet assessed

Seasonal description

Turpentine Tree (Syncarpia glomulifera) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through cultivation records. Native to eastern Australia in wet and seasonally dry forest. Persistent bark, dense flower heads, and many-seeded woody fruit clusters distinguish the species. A 2015 Kauaʻi government plan documents planted stands still present and a botanical survey lists the tree as naturalized; current extent after that evidence is unassessed.

Sources and further reading

• https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:66734-3
• https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/text/entities/syncarpia_glomulifera_subsp._glomulifera.htm
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/files/2013/02/2015_NK_management_plan_final.pdf