Leucaena leucocephala
invasiveFabaceae

Leucaena leucocephala

koa haole

Invasive (non-native)non-native

Introduced and causing ecological or economic harm.

Nitrogen-fixing leguminous tree ubiquitous on disturbed lowland sites. Displaces native coastal vegetation; extremely difficult to eradicate due to prolific seeding and resprouting.

Leucaena leucocephala is a small fast-growing mimosoid tree native to southern Mexico and northern Central America (Belize and Guatemala) and is now naturalized throughout the tropics.

Read more on Wikipedia →
summary via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA
Seasonality · treatment window
81 flowering · 83 fruiting annotations · iNaturalist · fetched Jul 2026
JFMAMJJASONDpeak
■ flowering (peak August)■ fruiting (peak December)▬ inferred control window
Inferred control window

September – November

Fruiting peaks in December. Treating before seed set prevents the next cohort; treating after it disperses the problem. This window is the three months preceding peak fruiting.

This is an inference, not a schedule. The curve reflects when observers annotated flowering and fruiting — which tracks observer effort as well as plant behavior, and pools all elevations and islands into one signal. Hawaiʻi’s microclimates vary enormously; a species may fruit in January at sea level and June at elevation. Use this to know when to look, then look.

Gallery · 6 · iNaturalist
open-licensed photos · click any to view its source
Where documented · 104 ahupuaʻa
documented occurrences · iNaturalist + GBIF · iNaturalist 198 · GBIF 292 records
Honolulu · OʻahuiNat 5 · GBIF 63 ✓
Maunalua · OʻahuiNat 26 · GBIF 37 ✓
Waikīkī · OʻahuiNat 21 · GBIF 38 ✓
Waimea · KauaʻiiNat 11 · GBIF 11 ✓
Honokōhau 1-3 · HawaiʻiiNat 8 · GBIF 8 ✓
Honokahua · MauiiNat 7 · GBIF 6 ✓
Wailua · KauaʻiiNat 10 · GBIF 2 ✓
Kailua · OʻahuiNat 5 · GBIF 6 ✓
Pāʻā · KauaʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 6 ✓
Waimānalo · OʻahuiNat 5 · GBIF 4 ✓
Honouliuli · OʻahuiNat 5 · GBIF 4 ✓
Kapaʻa · KauaʻiiNat 4 · GBIF 5 ✓
Honolua · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 6 ✓
Kalaoa 1-5 · HawaiʻiiNat 4 · GBIF 3 ✓
Kealakehe · HawaiʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 3 ✓
Kaʻena · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 4 ✓
Moanalua · OʻahuiNat 3 · GBIF 3 ✓
Kaloko · HawaiʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 1 ✓
Waiʻanae · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Kanahena · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Kīlauea · KauaʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 1 ✓
N/A · KahoʻolaweiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Niumalu · KauaʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kalapakī · KauaʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kuliʻouʻou · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 2 ✓
Waiohuli · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kāneʻohe · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Hōʻaeʻae · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Haʻikū · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 2 ✓
Honokōwai · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
North Olohena · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Weliweli · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kahakuloa · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kōloa · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Ulupehupehu · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Keauhou 2 · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Punalau · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Pūpūkea · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓