Trees

[jackson]

The trees dying from top to bottom are due to a leaf jumper from other trees, largely the fiya.
The Ohia is remarkably adaptive to its environment.

[shave_ice]

How about breadfruit? It is one of the canoe crops, not invasive, and very versatile. I can't wait until my ulu starts fruiting.

[Peter Epperson]

Well, this is strange. I've had a number of ohias die off in the last few years here in HA. Someone told me to look near the base for a bore hole and a pile of sawdust. Indeed I saw that on a nice tree that lost all of its leaves and was going to block my driveway when it fell. We chop the dead trees up for firewood when we get around to it. I didn't get around to the one in the driveway for a while but when I went out there the other day it had come back to life! In fact it looked very healthy. It was "dead" for more than a year.
What's up with that?

[Guest]

Something tells me your tree was along your driveway, If you disturb the ohia's roots at all the effects will be noticeable. Maybe immediately or even 20 years later the tree will show the signs of the disturbance. Dozing of driveway, or even hand clearing of the ferns from the base of the trees will effect the ohia. The trees I am mostly talking about that have died are 120 year old growth on land that has not been touched for 100 years or more. Unfortunately I have not noticed any NEW growth on any of these now dead trees, but you are right they now make great fire wood. P.S. HAcres is about 3 in a half years behind in this die-off, so expect many more in your area to succumb to this fate. As for your carpenter bees or beetle holes and sawdust, all trees that die become homes to those pest. No beetle has been known to drill through ohia more than 8 inches in diameter, And no known disease or fungus has killed 120 year old ohia either. So J.B Friday and his university students are just as stumped as you and I as to what is causing this die-off.

[jackson]

If you cut the "dead" tree at the "Y" and leave it, it will grow back. New growth will also come out of stumps.