What's with the Noni?

[Mitzi M]

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It's also invasive.

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It's also a native Hawaiian species, who's invasive?

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Actually noni is a non-native canoe plant which was brought here by the Polynesians. It is naturalized, meaning it grows and spreads happily by itself...But is it invasive? I say no because even though it does spread here in the Puna lowlands it doesn't really get out of control, make huge monotypic stands and displace native trees. Where I live, it even lives in partial shade as an understory plant in native 'ohi'a forest, replacing some of the native understory that has been lost. I think kukui, another canoe plant, is a much more invasive tree.

Last winter, after it rained for 2 months straight, the noni where I live started to look really bad all of a sudden. I found out it's a fungus called "noni black flag" which causes the leaves to turn black and droop (like flags) and rots out the fruit. According to CTAHR, it was first found at a noni farm somewhere near Opihikao and has spread as far as Kalapana. I saw it in the forest near Kapoho as well. It weakens but does not kill the trees and lives on in dormancy in the fallen leaves to emerge when it's really wet again. If you get it, you can remove all the diseased leaf litter and fruit and lessen your chances of future infestation, but I confess I did none of this and the nonis look good again.

In my neck of the woods there are people who regularly come around and gather the nonis. I know that at least one group of them have gotten permission to harvest from several of the landowners, even some on vacant lots.

I agree thay do taste like...your choice of very bad words, and it really stinks to step on the rotten fruit. But, they do make a handsome, if wrangly hedge or shrub and a useful medicinal plant.