Trees in puna

[kalama boy]

Aloha everyone. Do norfolk pines, ironwoods and hala trees grow well in puna?
Mahalo.

[Rob Tucker]

Yep.

[oink]

Ironwoods tend to be invasive.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[MarkP]

There are numerous kinds of ironwood (genus Casuarina), also called she-oak. Casuarina equisetifolia is the beach she-oak that you see along the shoreline. It is the most invasive. Casuarina cunninghamiana is the river she-oak. It is apparently less invasive. Last I knew you could get it from the state for planting. Both exhibit allelopathy to some degree which means they suppress the growth of other plants nearby. It the case of ironwood it might just be the thick layer of needles underneath that acts as a mulch. If I had to spend the night in the woods I would choose a spot under an ironwood because it is relatively dry and open due to the bed of needles.

[Kelena]

Ironwood bad. Kills everything beneath it. Ugly tree. Doesn't fruit. Not native. Not even close. Good for shade though.

[oink]

Ironwood does sound very nice in a breeze.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[missydog1]

>>>If I had to spend the night in the woods I would choose a spot under an ironwood because it is relatively dry and open due to the bed of needles.
This reminds me of something I read about ironwoods at either Bellows or Waimanalo, and how the centipedes love to climb them and fall out of them onto people ... it was a beach camping horror tale. So after reading that I would not choose a spot under an ironwood. ;-)

[Laughing_girl]

quote:

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Originally posted by KathyH....how the centipedes love to climb them and fall out of them onto people ... it was a beach camping horror tale. So after reading that I would not choose a spot under an ironwood. ;-)

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I was just thinking that the centipedes love living under the needle carpet!!

[james weatherford]

Hala is symbolic of Puna.

James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park