A living guide to Kauaʻi
Trees, Plants, Algae & Limu of Kauaʻi
Explore the island’s native and introduced species, habitats, watersheds and conservation work. Each record connects its description, images and sources with the interactive Atlas.
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Cape Gooseberry
Physalis peruviana
A softly woody hairy subshrub with alternate, sometimes unequally paired, heart-based leaves. Pale-yellow spreading flowers have purplish-brown basal spots. An enlarged inflated lantern-like calyx encloses a pale-yellow fleshy berry with nu
Allspice
Pimenta dioica
Allspice (Pimenta dioica) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Its checklist classification is naturalized; current extent is unassessed. Native from southern Mexic
Caribbean Pine
Pinus caribaea
Caribbean Pine (Pinus caribaea) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through historical forestry planting records. The reviewed records do not establish present survival. Native to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Central America in
Slash Pine
Pinus elliottii
Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Its checklist classification is naturalized; current extent is unassessed. Native to the southeast
Monterey Pine
Pinus radiata
Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through cultivation records. Native to a very restricted coastal range in California and Mexican Pacific islands but planted globally as a timber tree. Per
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda
Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through cultivation records. Native to the southeastern United States from moist lowlands and swamp margins to disturbed uplands and widely planted for timbe
Kava
Piper methysticum
ʻawa is a shrub in the Kauaʻi vascular and land plants group. Its origin status is polynesian introduction.
Māmaki
Pipturus albidus
Māmaki (Pipturus albidus) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Shrub or small tree 2–6 m tall with stout gray- to reddish-brown branches that are whitish- or gray-hairy when young.
Māmaki
Pipturus kauaiensis
A brown-barked shrub with pointed ovate-to-lanceolate leaves bearing coarse teeth. Blades are dark green above and white-woolly below. Small axillary flower clusters give rise to tiny pale-brown or gray achenes constricted below the upper p
Waimea
Pipturus ruber
A shrub with red-brown hairs and conspicuous red glands. Coarsely crenate ovate-to-elliptic leaves are pale green above and gray-olive beneath, with bright-red veins and red glands below. Pistillate flower clusters have red calyces; tiny ac
Birdcatcher Tree
Ceodes brunoniana
Pāpala kēpau (Ceodes brunoniana), also known as Pisonia brunoniana, is indigenous in the Hawaiian Islands. The reviewed 2026 checklist does not confirm Kauaʻi occurrence. It is a large shrub or small tree with broad leaves and sticky fruits
Manila Tamarind
Pithecellobium dulce
Manila Tamarind (Pithecellobium dulce) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Its checklist classification is naturalized; current extent is unassessed. Native from M
Hōʻawa
Pittosporum gayanum
Hōʻawa (Pittosporum gayanum) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Koʻolau Range Cheesewood
Pittosporum glabrum
Koʻolau Range Cheesewood (Pittosporum glabrum) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Hōʻawa Lau Nui
Pittosporum kauaiense
Hōʻawa Lau Nui (Pittosporum kauaiense) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Royal cheesewood
Pittosporum napaliense
Royal cheesewood (Pittosporum napaliense) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Taiwan Cheesewood
Pittosporum pentandrum
Taiwan Cheesewood (Pittosporum pentandrum) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Its checklist classification is naturalized; current extent is unassessed. Native fr
ʻĀlaʻa
Planchonella sandwicensis
ʻĀlaʻa (Planchonella sandwicensis) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
ʻĀlaʻa
Planchonella spathulata
ʻĀlaʻa (Planchonella spathulata) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian plantain
Plantago princeps
laukahi kuahiwi is a herb shrub in the Kauaʻi vascular and land plants group. Its origin status is endemic.
Oriental Arborvitae
Platycladus orientalis
Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through historical forestry planting records. The reviewed records do not establish present survival. Native to northeastern China and Korea
Quira
Platymiscium pinnatum
Quira (Platymiscium pinnatum) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through historical forestry planting records. The reviewed records do not establish present survival. Native to tropical America in seasonally wet to moist
Glory Bush
Pleroma urvilleanum
A hairy shrub with quadrangular young stems and opposite pointed elliptic-to-ovate leaves. The smooth-edged blades have five to seven prominent longitudinal veins and silky hairs below. Terminal clusters carry five large purple petals and t
Sourbush
Pluchea carolinensis
A shrub with white-woolly young stems and elliptic leaves whose margins are entire or have a few glandular teeth. Leaf undersides are woolly. Broad terminal corymbs carry numerous small flower heads; tiny hairy achenes bear a bristly pappus
Indian Fleabane
Pluchea indica
A branched shrub with obovate leaves coarsely toothed except near the base. Broad terminal clusters carry small pink-purple disk-flower heads. Tiny achenes have a bristly pappus. Established wild occurrence warrants observations of occupied
Blue Plumbago
Plumbago auriculata
A sprawling to climbing woody shrub with obovate-to-elliptic, smooth-edged leaves and rounded to shortly pointed tips. Pale-blue flowers have long slender tubes and broad spreading lobes. The ribbed calyx carries sticky stalked glands on it
ʻIlieʻe
Plumbago zeylanica
A sprawling woody shrub with pointed ovate leaves and rounded bases. Slender tubular white flowers open into spreading lobes and have blue-purple anthers. Sticky stalked glands cover the calyx. Each small oblong fruit contains one dark purp
Polyscias bisattenuata
Polyscias bisattenuata
Polyscias bisattenuata (Polyscias bisattenuata) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Flynn’s ʻohe
Polyscias flynnii
Flynn’s ʻohe (Polyscias flynnii) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
ʻOheʻohe
Polyscias kavaiensis
ʻOheʻohe (Polyscias kavaiensis) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
ʻOhe mauka
Polyscias oahuensis
ʻOhe mauka (Polyscias oahuensis) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Polyscias waialealae
Polyscias waialealae
Polyscias waialealae (Polyscias waialealae) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
ʻOhe kikoʻola
Polyscias waimeae
ʻOhe kikoʻola (Polyscias waimeae) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Native Yellow Purslane
Portulaca lutea
ʻihi is a succulent herb in the Kauaʻi vascular and land plants group. Its origin status is indigenous.
Canistel
Pouteria campechiana
Canistel (Pouteria campechiana) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through historical forestry planting records. The reviewed records do not establish present survival. Native to Mexico through Central America to norther
Loulu
Pritchardia flynnii
Loulu (Pritchardia flynnii) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi.
Loulu palm
Pritchardia hardyi
Loulu palm (Pritchardia hardyi) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Medium palm usually 4–5 m tall, occasionally to 8 m, with a smooth brownish trunk 30–45 cm in diameter.
Loulu
Pritchardia minor
Loulu (Pritchardia minor) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi.
Loulu palm
Pritchardia napaliensis
Loulu palm (Pritchardia napaliensis) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Palm to 10 m tall with a fibrous lower petiole.
Loulu
Pritchardia perlmanii
Loulu (Pritchardia perlmanii) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi.
Loulu
Pritchardia viscosa
Loulu (Pritchardia viscosa) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi.
Loulu
Pritchardia waialealeana
Loulu (Pritchardia waialealeana) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi.
Ghaf
Prosopis cineraria
Ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through historical forestry planting records. The reviewed records do not establish present survival. Native to the Arabian Peninsula through Iran, Afghanistan
Taiwan Cherry
Prunus campanulata
Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulata) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Its checklist classification is naturalized; current extent is unassessed. Native from the e
Peach
Prunus persica
Peach (Prunus persica) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Its checklist classification is naturalized; current extent is unassessed. An ancient domesticate derive
Pastel Flower
Pseuderanthemum variabile
A low hairy herb or subshrub with pointed ovate-to-lanceolate, smooth-edged leaves, sometimes purplish beneath. Elongated terminal clusters carry white-to-mauve tubular flowers with dark spots on the lower lobe. Small capsules follow; reduc
Shaving-brush Tree
Pseudobombax ellipticum
Shaving-brush Tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through cultivation records. Native from Mexico through Central America to parts of the Caribbean; a seasonally dry tropical tree grown as an ornamental
Strawberry guava
Psidium cattleyanum
Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleyanum) is a Brazilian fruit tree introduced to Hawaiʻi and now a damaging wet-forest invader. Psidium cattleianum is an older spelling widely retained in management literature. Kauaʻi management plans and bot
Common guava
Psidium guajava
Common guava (Psidium guajava) is an introduced tree treated as naturalized on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Current extent is unassessed. An introduced, naturalized tropical fruit tree that pe
Kōpiko
Psychotria grandiflora
Kōpiko (Psychotria grandiflora) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Psychotria greenwelliae
Psychotria greenwelliae
Psychotria greenwelliae (Psychotria greenwelliae) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Psychotria hexandra
Psychotria hexandra
Psychotria hexandra (Psychotria hexandra) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Psychotria hobdyi
Psychotria hobdyi
Psychotria hobdyi (Psychotria hobdyi) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Kōpiko kea
Psychotria kaduana
Kōpiko kea (Psychotria kaduana) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Forest Wild Coffee
Psychotria mariniana
Forest Wild Coffee (Psychotria mariniana) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Small tree, rarely reaching 20 m, with yellowish- to dark-brown branches.
ʻOpiko
Psychotria mauiensis
ʻOpiko (Psychotria mauiensis) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Psychotria wawrae
Psychotria wawrae
Psychotria wawrae (Psychotria wawrae) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Alaheʻe
Psydrax odorata
Alaheʻe (Psydrax odorata) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands.
Pteralyxia kauaiensis
Pteralyxia kauaiensis
Pteralyxia kauaiensis (Pteralyxia kauaiensis) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Round-leaved Bloodwood
Pterocarpus rotundifolius subsp. rotundifolius
Round-leaved Bloodwood (Pterocarpus rotundifolius subsp. rotundifolius) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through historical forestry planting records. The reviewed records do not establish present survival. Native to s
