Fragrant orange-flowered coastal tree confirmed at Hawaiian historic park
iNaturalist: jeremypmccann
Native Plants
If you're planning a native coastal garden in Hawaii or the tropics, this tree offers salt tolerance, showy orange flowers, and wood traditionally used for carving, all confirmed growing wild right in a public park you can visit.
Someone spotted and photographed a Kerosene Tree growing in a historical park on the Big Island of Hawaii, and experts confirmed the identification is solid. This tree is known for its papery orange flowers and wood that was traditionally used for carving bowls and canoe parts, and it grows naturally along tropical coastlines.
Key Findings
Observation was verified as 'research-grade' on iNaturalist, meaning the identification is confirmed by community consensus
Location: Ali'i Drive, Keolonahihi State Historical Park, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Species: Cordia subcordata, a coastal tree common in Indo-Pacific and Hawaiian shoreline ecosystems
chevron_right Technical Summary
A verified sighting of the Kerosene Tree, a coastal species prized in Hawaiian culture for its wood and orange flowers, was logged at a historical park in Kailua-Kona. Confirmed observations like this help track where native and culturally significant coastal trees still thrive.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Kerosene Tree (Cordia subcordata) observed in Ali'i Drive Keolonahihi State Historical Park, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
Research-grade observation of Kerosene Tree in Ali'i Drive Keolonahihi State Historical Park, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Street trees cut heat deaths by 39 percent in European cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...
Calytrix achaeta, commonly known as the white-flowered turkey bush, kerosene wood or fringe-myrtle, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to north-western Australia. It is a shrub or tree with hairy branchlets, egg-shaped, linear or lance-shaped leaves, and...