Blog — Page 24 — Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

Get involved! Help survey for Little Fire Ants Saturday, October 22.

Posted on October 12, 2011 by MISC Leave a Comment

MISC staff assist the Hawaii Department of Agriculture surveying for little fire ants. MISC file photo.

Little fire ants (LFA) are devastating communities across the Pacific. Passive and deceitfully small in size, these South American imports pose a grave threat to Hawaii. They can deliver a painful sting, blind animals, and reduce biodiversity.

A cat on the big island blinded from a fungal infection, the likely outcome of little fire ant stings. MISC file photo.

You can help! We’re conducting a neighborhood survey for the LFA Saturday, October 22, from 8:30 am to 12pm. The little fire ant has been found once on Maui, and because the infestation was small it was eradicated. However, the source of the infestation has never been determined and there’s a good chance LFA are somewhere else on Maui. Your help in getting the word out is greatly appreciated!

Please contact us at miscpr@hawaii.edu by October 19th if you are interested in participating. We’ll contact you with more details.

More about the little fire ant…

If LFA were to become established in Hawaii, they would become the state’s most devastating pest. Throughout the Pacific, LFA has overwhelmed communities. If we do not stop the spread of the little fire ant we stand to lose much of our agricultural industry. We will lose our ability to grow our own food, enjoy our yards, and hike through the forest. Ground nesting seabirds and sea turtle hatchlings will be attacked, along with many of our rare insect species. Once little fire ant is established, there is little hope of eradication. Learn more through the postings on this blog under the category invasive animals.

I thought we already had fire ants here?

Don’t confuse the little fire ant with the much larger and widespread tropical fire ant (above). Photo courtesy of HDOA

Yes, the tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata, has been in Hawaii since the 1940s. While the tropical fire ant is a serious and unpleasant pest, it pales in comparison to the little fire ant. LFA are ½ the size of the tropical fire ant, only as long as a penny is thick. LFA typically sting people on their necks as they rain down from trees. Learn to tell the difference at www.reportapest.org.

To report a suspected infestation of the little fire ant in Maui County call MISC at 573-6472.

Residents urged to report unusual stinging fire ants

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker 2 Comments

An infestation of the much-dreaded little fire ant (LFA), Wasmannia auropunctata, was discovered on a farm in Waihee, Maui, in early October of 2009, the first known LFA foothold on the island. As reported in the Oct. 16 Maui News, Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) will be working with the owner to eradicate the ½-acre infestation; LFA may have been at this site for a year. These tiny pale-orange ants deliver painful stings that develop into large red welts; some people are more sensitive to them than others. LFA may be perceived by many as less of a threat than the red imported fire ant but is nevertheless a very serious pest that can attain high densities, and its powerful sting poses problems for domestic animals, wildlife, agricultural workers and others who come in contact with it. When populations build up outdoors, they eventually come indoors and sting people in their homes. In this regard it is actually worse than the other “imported fire ants” on the mainland.

An entire colony of the little fire ant can fit inside a macadamia nut shell. Photo by Hawaii Department of Agriculture

Native to South and Central America, LFA has invaded locations in West Africa, Florida, the Galapagos Islands, several Pacific island nations (New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Tahiti), Israel, and Australia.

Though LFA was first detected in Hawaii on the Big Island in March 1999, it is believed to have been there for at least four years before it was discovered; a lag between invasion and detection is regarded as “normal.” In retrospect, LFA likely had reached Hawaii from Florida; genotypes of Hawaii LFA are essentially identical to some LFA specimens from the Lake Placid area of central Florida. As soon as LFA was discovered in Puna in 1999, HDOA realized the seriousness of the situation. They developed a pest advisory and assigned an entomologist to lead efforts to address this new invasion, involving detection, experimental efforts at eradication of local populations, and inter-island quarantine.

A 2005 review of HDOA’s efforts to address this serious ant pest suggested that they were “hindered by low staffing levels; lack of public and commercial awareness; lack of access to nursery sales records; the difficulty of detecting this ant; lack of a registered ant control product for use in orchard fruit and vegetable crops; the failure of most people to take the threat of its invasion seriously. HDOA demurred from an all out eradication effort and enactment of an intra-island quarantine to prevent infected nurseries from selling plants.” The fact that some plant nurseries were infested and probably selling infested plants made containment virtually impossible. By September 1999, LFA was known to occupy 30 acres in three populations. By January 2004, there were known to be 31 populations totaling nearly 200 acres; eight of the populations at that time involved nursery infestations and the nurseries were still selling plants. LFA is currently coalescing in Hilo and Puna, much as coqui frogs are doing.

Don't confuse the little fire ant with the much larger and widespread tropical fire ant (above). Photo courtesy of HDOA

Maui has been determined to keep this ant out. Early detection efforts have been underway here for almost a decade, some involving students in intermediate and high schools. HDOA has implemented largely effective interisland quarantine that has at least helped to delay the infestation for a decade. What’s next?

Maui residents have shown impressive resolve in keeping the coqui frog confined to a relatively few areas, and coqui eradication is still considered a possibility. Most on Maui consider LFA a much more serious pest than coqui. We have the advantage of being able to learn from the Big Island’s experience. Obviously, the community needs to play a major supporting role if there is to be hope of sustained LFA eradication. One way to prevent LFA from being established is to report unusual stinging ants. True to their name LFA are small, about as long as a penny is thick, with a sting disproportionate to their size. Please call HDOA at 873-3962 or MISC at 573-6472 if you think you may have found LFA.

Will Maui citizens be able to pull together to effectively address the LFA threat?

Visit www.lfa-hawaii.org to report an infestation or www.littlefireants.org to learn more.

By Committee Member Lloyd Loope. Dr. Loope is a research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey stationed at the Haleakala Field Station. He holds a doctorate in botany from Duke University and is an active member of the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Originally published in the Maui News, September 14, 2009 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column.
You can find all the articles in the Kia‘i Moku series http://www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

Positive spin on invasive species by artists, chefs

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker 1 Comment

Crews harvest saplings of invasive eucalyptus for use in a sculpture by artist Patrick Dougherty. The sculpture is at the Hui No'eau Art Center in Makawao. Photo by Rose Gabriel

One day I was pulling a weed and I realized there was a little grain of hostility there toward this invasive plant,” said Washington D.C. artist, Patterson Clark, in an interview with National Public Radio. “And I stopped and thought: I don’t want to be this way in nature. I don’t want to be in an adversarial mode when I’m in nature. How can I change my attitude to make this more of a positive experience? And the word ‘harvest’ came to mind.” Patterson shifted his perspective and began turning weeds into resources — brushes, inks, and even paper.”

It’s happening throughout the country — artists, chefs, hunters, and fisherman are using their talents to harvest invasive plants and animals, transforming them in innovative ways–each example regionally appropriate. In the Southeast, artists weave kudzu into lampshades, baskets, and sculpture. In the Pacific Northwest, printmakers are making paper out of Japanese knotweed. In Maryland, the forest-choking vine, oriental bittersweet, is morphing into lighthearted sculpture. In some places, it’s work you can sink your teeth into. “Invasivores” control pests by dining upon them: Asian carp, Himalayan blackberries, even nutria, the semi-aquatic rodent that invades the wetlands of the South, can be dinner. Fishing derbies have tapped into the competitive spirit, controlling venomous lionfish in Florida and removing voracious roi from Hawaii’s reefs. This month, on the lawn of the Hui No’eau art center, sculptor Patrick Dougherty will be twisting watershed-choking strawberry guava into imaginative shapes.

sculpture on display at the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center was made out of strawberry guava, eucalyptus, and white ash.

The best an invasive species can look! This sculpture on display at the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center was made out of strawberry guava, eucalyptus, and white ash. Photo by Hui No'eau.

Many of the plants and animals that overrun our environment have useful attributes: they taste good, have beautiful wood or nice flowers. But the value of the species may come at a high cost– the health of an ecosystem, quiet nights, locally grown produce or livestock.

By harvesting (or overharvesting!) these invaders we can recycle unwanted species while helping the environment. The carbon footprint of using locally available material is less than importing it from the mainland and the process provides a connection with the land while giving back to the place we live.

There are risks. Invasive plants and animals carry a reputation for jumping the fence and escaping. Keep the following points in mind when using invasive materials and you’ll help ensure that your work is making a difference, but not planting the seeds of a new invasion, literally and figuratively.

How does this species spread? Tiny seeds, resilient vegetative roots? If you are going to move an invasive species, be sure to bag the flowers and fruit, and make sure fruit, flowers, and roots are disposed of properly (not Green Waste!).

Toxic invaders: Many species have chemicals harmful to people and animals. Research the species and how it can safely be used. Roi are toxic to eat, every part of oleander is toxic, and the sap of some plants, like the pothos vine, can cause a bad skin rash.
Do you have permission? Check with the landowner before removing any species.
Is it legal? State laws restrict the transport of some plants and animals. Some species are on the noxious weed list or targets for control by local invasive species committees. Check with them for guidance.

Finally, remember to stay slightly detached from the material which, ideally, will become harder and harder to find. Perhaps then it will be time to find a new invasive to work with. It’s unlikely that a hunting tournament, new recipe, or art sculpture will lead to the eradication of an invasive plant or animal, but by harvesting invasive species you’re helping restore balance to the ecosystem.

So by all means, jump in. Lend a hand to control invasive plants and animals. Cook with ‘em, carve, weave, or sculpt them, mash a weed into paper, or even turn your project into a contest! Tell people why and what you are doing. Just be extra careful you’re not accidentally making the problem worse.

For more information on the sculpture at the Hui visit their website and check out the day-by-day building of the sculpture entitled On The Wild Side at their blog.

Dining on invasive species? Check out invasivore.org for recipes.

By Lissa Fox. Originally published in the Maui News, September 11, 2011 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column.Check out all of the MISC articles in the Kia`i Moku series at: www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

Biocontrol precision is weapon against invaders

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

Lloyd Loope

Last month I began to present my point of view as a conservation scientist relevant to current “controversy” over biocontrol of strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum), Hawaii’s most damaging invasive plant species. I touched upon the generally accepted theory that many highly invasive plant species, held in check by insects and pathogens in their home range, become unbeatable competitors in their introduced range where those insects and pathogens are lacking. Strawberry guava exemplifies the “enemy release” theory; it is attacked by virtually no insects or pathogens wherever it invades on many tropical islands of the world.

Though I’ve always supported the concept of biocontrol as a potential tool for Hawaii’s most widespread and most invasive plants, I recall a personal pessimism in the 1980s that biocontrol success might be unlikely in this case because guava is in the myrtle family (same as Hawaii’s ‘ōhi‘a) and commercially important common guava (Psidium guajava) is such a closely related sister species.

A strawberry guava tree in Curtiba, Brazil is heavily infested with the galls of the scale insect Tectococcus ovatus. This is the typical effect of the insect on the plant. It was a result of a naturally developing infestation of the insect in the plant’s native range. U.S. Forest Service photo

But state and federal natural resource agencies in Hawaii have managed to cobble together a remarkably stellar program to address the rampant invader. In 1991, the National Park Service and the University of Hawaii began to collaborate with the Federal University in Curitiba, Brazil, to identify and evaluate potential biocontrol agents. After 10 years of field observations and other testing working within the native ranges of both strawberry guava and common guava in Brazil researchers found 133 insect species in 12 orders and 80 families that fed on strawberry guava. Thirty-one of those species fed only on plants in the myrtle family, and five species fed only on strawberry guava and not at all on common guava. The collaborative program zeroed in on Tectococcus ovatus, a scale insect that feeds on the new growth, creating galls on the leaves of strawberry guava. This scale insect was the choice for more intensive work based on the relative severity of damage inflicted on P. cattleianum and the ease of handling it.

Tectococcus ovatus was brought to containment facilities in Hawaii and Florida, where strawberry guava is also invasive, for intensive experimental testing to ensure its safety as a biocontrol agent. Many related native and non-native plants were tested as potential host species. Strawberry guava is the only plant in Hawaii that this insect is able to feed on. Dr. Tracy Johnson of the U.S. Forest Service in Hilo has brought the program close to fruition over the past eight years.

The insect reduces the plant’s energy and nutrients available for growth and reproduction. Heavy infestation is expected to accelerate leaf drop and reduce fruit and seed production. Some fruit will be produced and the plants are not expected to die. If the scale insect thrives, it will level the playing field between the invasive strawberry guava and native forest species.

What other species in the ecosystem will be affected by the expected decline in strawberry guava fruit production? Feral pigs and a few species of non-native birds will lose a seasonal carbohydrate diet supplement during the September-December fruiting season. These same species are fully able to thrive in areas where there is no strawberry guava.

Hawaii is confronted by intractable invasive species problems, but by integrating prevention, early detection, rapid response, and biocontrol we can begin to address these problems. Biocontrol is an essential part of invasive plant management strategies in New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. mainland. Florida has become a leader in biocontrol in the past decade. For example I recently learned that thanks to two insects introduced about 10 years ago as classical biocontrol agents, the notorious Melaleuca, or paper bark tree is no longer invasive in the Florida Everglades! My scientific opinion is that biodiversity conservation in Hawaii will not succeed without the enlightened use of biological control.

Lloyd Loope is a research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey stationed at the Haleakala Field Station. He holds a doctorate in botany from Duke University and is an active Maui Invasive Species Committee member.

Originally published in the Maui News, October 12, 2008 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column.
You can see all the articles in the Kia‘i Moku series http://www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

Strawberry guava sows seeds of infestation

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker 1 Comment

The fruit if strawberry guava are eaten by birds that spread the tiny seeds. Photo by Forest & Kim Starr

When I came to Maui 28 years ago to work as a research biologist at Haleakala National Park, one of the first things I learned was that strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) was regarded as the most damaging invasive plant in the state. A year later, I was in Kipahulu Valley and experiencing the amazing guava fruiting and dispersal season. The 10-30 foot tall trees left a sea of red fruits that still lurks in my memory. There were dense, extensive guava thickets of tens of acres at the 2,000-3,000 ft elevation level in the valley. One could scarcely walk through; there were literally no other species present. These devastated areas contrasted sharply with the rich biodiversity in nearby areas with intact native understory vegetation.

A dense infestation of strawberry guava, or waiawī , in the Makawao Forest Reserve. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr

At that time, C.H. Diong, a graduate student at UH-Manoa, was putting the final touches on his Ph.D. thesis. Diong showed that feral pigs had been the primary agent spreading strawberry guava from the mouth of the valley upslope for the past 30 years or so. The pigs fed almost exclusively on guava fruits during September-December. The seeds pass through the pigs’ digestive tracts with no loss of viability. Fruiting was occurring only below about 3000 ft elevation but the seeds could germinate and grow much higher, up to over 4000 ft in the valley.

Years later, my colleague Dr. Art Medeiros did his Ph.D. thesis on the biology of weeds in Kipahulu Valley and East Maui. Art estimated that strawberry guava already occupies over one-third, or 8900 acres, of its potential area of dominance on East Maui. Although feral pigs had been eliminated and fenced from Kipahulu Valley since the late1980s, Art found that non-native birds, primarily the red-billed leiothrix, were also spreading strawberry guava seeds. Strawberry guava plants were still not fruiting above 3000 ft, but seeds planted experimentally (or those carried by birds or pigs) germinate at much higher elevations. Strawberry guava now reaches as high as 5300 ft on East Maui in at least one location.

Strawberry guava has infested the outlined area on Mahana Ridge, just to the east of Honokahua Valley in West Maui. Photo by Randy Bartlett.

Newly established guava plants can spread vegetatively by root sprouts. On all the major islands, nearly monotypic guava stands infest thousands of acres of moderately wet (mesic) and very wet forest. Strawberry guava is considered a serious threat to native forests due to its ability to invade relatively undisturbed areas and form thickets with dense mats of feeder roots. Dense invasion allows only about 5% of sunlight into the understory. The guava at first invades under native canopy, then expands and closes the mid-level canopy position, preventing the establishment and regeneration of all other species, including the dominant native forest plants – ohia and koa. Although it continues to expand into relatively pristine native forest areas, strawberry guava is now so widespread in Hawaii that its future impacts are expected to consist mainly of filling in areas creating monotypic stands.

As one of the founding members of the Maui Invasive Species Committee, I never considered taking on strawberry guava as a MISC target given its wide distribution and abundance and MISC’s limited resources. We always hoped for the eventual possibility of identifying an effective biological control.

A generally accepted theory of biological invasions is that certain plant species, held in check by insects and pathogens in their home range, become invasive in their introduced range where those insects and pathogens are lacking. Strawberry guava seems to fit the “enemy release” theory perfectly. In Hawaii, it is currently attacked by no insects or pathogens.

The first biocontrol researcher for this species, Dr. Charles Hodges, traveled to coastal Brazil in 1988 and reported that strawberry guava occurs not in dense stands but as scattered trees and rarely in small clumps. He noted that “few trees were observed that had not been attacked by at least one kind of insect,” and “often four or five types of insect damage could be identified on the same tree.” After 20 years of research to determine the best potential biocontrol agent, the scale insect Tectococcus ovatus has jumped through all the hoops but one – public opinion.

Lloyd Loope is a research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey stationed at the Haleakala Field Station. He holds a doctorate in botany from Duke University and is an active member of the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Originally published in the Maui News, September 14, 2008 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column.
You can find all the articles in the Kia‘i Moku series http://www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

Lāna‘i

Posted on August 23, 2011 by MISC Leave a Comment

MISC work trip to Lāna‘i, camping at Hulopoe

Lāna‘i i ke ‘ehu o ke kai.
Lāna‘i stands among the sea sprays.

About once a year, MISC tries to get all staff (including those usually chained to their desks), out on a work trip and Lāna‘i is usually a good option. We can pitch camp at Hulopoe Bay at no cost thanks to support from Castle and Cooke and play in the surf after hot dusty days looking for fountain grass. Super-long sweep lines make logistical sense across the open red-dirt slopes of Kanepu‘u – it’s easy to see everyone and cover a lot of distance over just a few days. And it’s a great opportunity to bring all the field crews and office staff together in a different setting.

This year’s trip in May was one of the best. Everyone seemed in sync, with the load and laughter shared by all. Staff from Castle and Cooke and from Lāna‘i Native Species Recovery Program pitched in as well. Hardly any fountain grass was detected in the Kanepu‘u area, indicating that our strategy is working. Another strategy that seems to be working – training staff on multiple targets – was also in evidence. Vertebrate crew member, Dennis Green, brought the sweep line to a halt when he found a suspicious flowering plant. Lissa Fox immediately identified it as the elusive downy rose myrtle, a species previously reported as having been planted on Lāna‘i , but never before found. Although we didn’t turn up any more, we now have a point from which to conduct future searches.

I’m not sure about the kaona, or hidden meaning, if there is one, of the Hawaiian proverb about Lāna‘i . But if I were to make up my own, I’d say that our staff stands tall among the sea sprays. Trips like our recent one to Lāna‘i help bring that image home.

by Teya Penniman, MISC manager

Mullein came to fight erosion, exists as threat to silversword, other plants

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

By Joylnn Paman

Originally published in the Maui News, September 10, 2006 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column.

The slopes of Haleakalā are the only home for some of the rarest plants and animals in the world. Among them, `āhinahina, the Haleakalā silversword grows for up to 50 years before flowering and casting its seeds for the next generation to the wind. To protect these and other native species the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) partners, including Haleakalā National Park, are on the lookout for invasive plants and animals that could threaten this delicate environment.

Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is one such invader. It was first introduced to the Island of Hawai`i for erosion control in the early 1900’s and has since become well established on Big Island volcanic slopes. Scientists have observed that mullein out-competes other plants and grows to an abnormally large size, particularly at higher elevations on Hawai`i. This has raised concern that mullein would quickly invade and out-compete native plants in the higher elevation habitats on Haleakalā.

This Eurasian plant has become a widely established weed throughout temperate areas of the world. Its gray-green, felt-like leaves range from 4-12 inches long and 1-5 inches wide. Mullein grows in a low rosette for the first year or two and at maturity sprouts up an erect stalk with yellow flowers. This pest grows up to 10 feet tall and can invade elevations from sea level to above 10,000 feet.

Several characteristics make mullein all too successful as an invasive plant. Although noted for the ability to quickly colonize disturbed areas, it does not require disturbance to rapidly invade the loose volcanic cinders and `a`ā lava in Hawai`i. This weed grows in dense thickets displacing slower growing and longer maturing native species, such as the silversword. Like the silversword, protective hairs on the leaves of mullein reflect the intense alpine sunlight, pre-adapting this weed for the arid conditions on Haleakalā.

Unlike the silversword, mullein produces large quantities of seed, which remain viable for long periods of time. Each mature mullein plant sprouts a flowering stalk, which develops up to 150,000 seeds. Seeds may remain dormant for over 100 years, waiting for favorable environmental conditions or dispersal into suitable habitats. With silverswords taking up to 50 years to seed compared to just two or three years for mullein, it is easy to imagine how mullein might displace `āhinahina. Because of these invasive characteristics and the high risk to native species, mullein was declared a Hawai`i State Noxious Weed in 1992. In the late 1980’s, two immature mullein plants were found in Haleakalā National Park along the roadside leading up to the summit and were immediately destroyed. None have been found in the park since. Soon after that first incident, it was discovered that an upcountry nursery raised mullein and sold it to a number of homes. When informed by park staff of the ecological threat, the nursery agreed to halt sales and destroy the remaining stock. This cooperation sparked an article in The Maui News urging mullein purchasers to destroy their plants.

It is difficult to know if everyone destroyed their plants and there’s always the possibility that there are new locations. Just this summer, a new site was discovered Upcountry. MISC was notified and responded immediately. The plant was killed and the seeds were collected. The cooperative landowner is now monitoring the property for additional plants that may sprout in the future.

Today, early detection of mullein is critical to keeping Maui Nui free of this pest. Do your part to stop the spread of this and other invasive species. Do not purchase, sell or import unknown plants. Learn how to identify mullein and report possible locations to the Maui Invasive Species Committee at 573-6472.

Check out all of the MISC articles in the Kia`i Moku series at: www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

All hands can be part of defense against Miconia invasion

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

: Makawao residents point to where a miconia seedling grew out of their hapu`u fern in Makawao

: Large miconia leaves act as umbrellas, shading out sunlight

In April of 2006, a Makawao resident noticed an unusual plant growing in his yard. It had large leaves with purple undersides. Curious, he did some research and discovered it was miconia – a plant native to Central and South America that is invading Maui’s rain forests. Surprised by his findings, he immediately called the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC). MISC staff investigated and was stunned to find a miconia seedling growing out of a hāpu‘u fern in Makawao! To date, miconia was known only from East Maui (one intentional planting in West Maui had been eradicated). Because the resident knew the origin of the hāpu‘u (Big Island), MISC surmised that a tiny miconia seed had hitched a ride on a hāpu‘u harvested from a miconia-infested area and sprouted three years later. The miconia plant was young and had not seeded, a plus for the environment. Left undetected, the plant would have quickly matured, eventually releasing ten to twenty million seeds each year into an area thought to be miconia-free.

Miconia was first introduced to Maui in the 1960’s as an ornamental plant in Hāna, then quickly spread to the surrounding forests. By 1993, one plant had multiplied into thousands, distributed over a 2,000-acre area. Alarmed by miconia’s potential to overwhelm available resources, conservation agencies pulled together and formed the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC), a voluntary partnership to protect Maui County from invasive plants and animals. Over the years, MISC’s focus broadened to include many other invasive species, but miconia continues to be the top priority plant target. MISC now has a full-time crew searching for and destroying miconia over thousands of acres in East Maui.

Miconia leaves can grow to be the size of a small child, averaging 2-3 ft long and 1 ft wide. The leaf has a dark purple underside, oval shape, and 3 distinct veins. In its native environment of South and Central America, miconia’s large leaves help the plant capture limited sunlight in dense, dark forests. On Maui, the forest structure has a more open canopy, so many native plants have not developed a tolerance for dense shade. Miconia’s leaves act as “light” umbrellas, casting a deep and often deadly shade over native vegetation.

A characteristic common to many invasive plants is the ability to produce large quantities of seeds that remain dormant for a long time. Miconia is no exception. Each mature plant can produce millions of seeds per year, which may not germinate for another 8–10 years. The rapid spread of miconia in East Maui has been aided by unintentional movement of these tiny seeds, as small as a grain of sand. Birds, hunters, hikers, vehicles, and even the movement of other plants, can bring miconia to new areas.

You can help combat the spread of miconia. Learn how to identify the plant. A good resource for photos and information is www.mauiisc.org. Always clean your shoes and gear before and after hiking. Know the origin of plants that you purchase. If you think you have found miconia, report the location to 573-MISC (6472). If you have miconia on your property, allow MISC to control it free of charge. Just by doing these simple preventive measures, you are helping to keep Maui nō ka ‘oi. Keep an eye out for this new monthly column to learn how you can protect Maui from invasive plants and animals that are threatening Maui County.

By Joylnn Paman
Originally published in the Maui News, August 13, 2006 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column. Check out all of the MISC articles in the Kia`i Moku series at: www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

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