The name of this invasive plant?

[StillHope]

It's interesting how some invasive plants pick up certain areas.
It's hard to find a strawberry guava in Seaview but this tree seem to take over most of empty lots here and a lot of them grow along 137.
I think the same one (actually a cluster if them) grows across Cash&Carry in Pahoa.

Description -big wide heart shaped leaves with a cluster of light green/pale pink flowers.
Even a tiny sprout(2 inches) is very hard to pull out without tools.
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[Mitzi M]

That would be Melochia umbellata
also affectionately known as toilet paper tree or gunpowder tree.
They're native to India and a few other locales. I believe they were first planted in the islands, among many other pest trees, in a misguided attempt to restore deforested watersheds. I've also heard they were used for quick shade for coffee plantations. They stick to low elevation windward places like Puna,produce copious seeds, but are pretty easy to pull out when young. Goats also like the leaves.

BTW, the forests on older lavas flanking Seaview are choke full of s. guava. This unsavory beast is just waiting for a little bit more soil formation to take over the middle of the subdivision.

[StillHope]

Thank you,Mitzi!
What's up with those funny names :
TP tree -
Good leaf size?[]

Gun Powdwer - bug work(holes) on the leaves?

As far as easy to pull out -strange,but it's not the case on my property where there's no soil,especially on the driveway.

___________________________
Whatever you assume,please
just ask a question first.

[missydog1]

It's nice to have a name for that pest, Mitzi. I'm afflicted with them.
Another weed tree that I have is called gunpowder tree.
Trema orientalis
http://www.hear.org/starr/images/species...orientalis&o=plants

Narrower leaves, not the big heart-shaped ones, and easy to recognize with its leaves alternating along the stem. Pain in the butt and fast growing.

They're both called gunpowder tree?

[missydog1]

Hope, you asked about the name -- the gunpowder tree that I linked is called that because charcoal made from its wood really is used to make gunpowder, and fireworks as well.

[Mitzi M]

Hi Kathy,

Actually, I think most people here mean the trema when they say gunpowder tree. I never knew where that name came from though - that's neat.

I have heard Melochia called toilet paper tree a few times, but in my search for a more "dignified" common name I ran across this page from PIER, where they call it gunpowder too. Hmmmm... Wonder if there's a story there.

http://www.hear.org/pier/species/melochia_umbellata.htm

[StillHope]

Thank you,Kathy for the information.
Btw,on my neighbor's lot both of them growingvery close to each other,like one tree - toilet paper mixed with gun powder[]


___________________________
Whatever you assume,please
just ask a question first.

[janeadams]

What we know as the toilet paper tree is Melaleuca quinquernervia, the paperbark tree, whose extensively exfoliating and soft bark really makes the kids giggle. We have a long windbreak of them and they are an invasive pest. We even find their seedlings inside the greenhouse in the plant containers.

http://www.hear.org/starr/images/image/?q=020803-0090&o=plants

Also, we also always heard Trema orientalis named as the gunpowder tree.