Sacred Hawaiian tree spotted and verified in Puna forest
iNaturalist: onerandomhero
Native Plants
If you garden with natives or hike Hawaiʻi's forests, every confirmed ʻŌhiʻa sighting helps scientists track a tree under siege from a deadly fungal disease that's already killed over a million trees across the islands.
Someone out in Pāhoa, Hawaiʻi spotted an ʻŌhiʻa Lehua tree, the twisty-branched native tree with fuzzy red flowers that's central to Hawaiian culture and forest ecosystems, and logged it on iNaturalist. Other observers reviewed the photos and confirmed the identification, making it a verified 'research-grade' record scientists can actually use.
Key Findings
Observation identified as Metrosideros polymorpha (ʻŌhiʻa Lehua), endemic to Hawaiʻi
Location: Pāhoa, on the island of Hawaiʻi (Big Island)
Classified as research-grade, meaning community identification consensus was reached
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist confirmed a sighting of ʻŌhiʻa Lehua, Hawaiʻi's iconic native tree, in Pāhoa on the Big Island. The observation was verified as research-grade, adding a data point for tracking this culturally and ecologically important species amid ongoing threats from Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
ʻŌhiʻa Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) observed in Pāhoa
Research-grade observation of ʻŌhiʻa Lehua in Pāhoa.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Metrosideros polymorpha, the ʻōhiʻa lehua, is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaiʻi. It is a member of the diverse Metrosideros genus, which are widespread over the southwest Pacific. It is the state tree of Hawaiʻi.