A Caribbean shrub turns up verified and thriving in Honolulu
iNaturalist: elena16009
Invasive Species
If you're walking trails or greenways around Honolulu, spotting and logging plants like this one helps researchers map which introduced species are quietly establishing themselves in Hawaiian landscapes.
Someone out in Honolulu came across a shrub called fiddlewood and snapped a photo good enough for other naturalists to confirm exactly what it was. Fiddlewood isn't native to Hawaii, so every verified sighting like this helps build a clearer picture of where it's showing up and how far it's spread on Oʻahu.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning community identifiers confirmed the species ID with consensus.
Location confirmed as Oʻahu, Honolulu, HI, US, adding a verified geographic data point for Citharexylum caudatum distribution.
Fiddlewood is a non-native species in Hawaii, making tracked sightings useful for monitoring its spread.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A gardener or naturalist spotted and verified fiddlewood, a non-native shrub, growing in Honolulu, adding a confirmed data point to tracking where this plant has spread across Oʻahu.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Fiddlewood (Citharexylum caudatum) observed in Oʻahu, Honolulu, HI, US
Research-grade observation of Fiddlewood in Oʻahu, Honolulu, HI, US.
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.
Rapid disruption of pollination function by the invasive plant Impatiens glan...
That pretty pink-flowered plant spreading along your local riverbank or woodland edge could be quietly starving native wildflowers of the bee visits they nee...
Native plants are species that have evolved naturally within a specific region or ecosystem without human introduction, forming integral ecological relationships with local soils, climate, and wildlife over thousands of years. In plant science, studying native species provides critical insights
arrow_forward Explore topic