polynesian_introductionEuphorbiaceae
Aleurites moluccanus
kukui · kukui
Polynesian introduction
Brought by Polynesian voyagers before Western contact.
Hawaiʻi state tree. Introduced by Polynesians for oil, light, medicine, and dye. Still common in lowland and mid-elevation forests; recognizable from afar by its silver-green foliage.
Aleurites moluccanus (or moluccana), the candlenut, is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, kemiri, varnish tree, nuez de la India, buah keras, or kukui nut tree, and Kekuna tree.
Read more on Wikipedia →summary via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA
Seasonality
33 flowering · 39 fruiting annotations · iNaturalist · fetched Jul 2026
■ flowering (peak March)■ fruiting (peak February)
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 · 8 · iNaturalist
open-licensed photos · click any to view its source
Where documented · 110 ahupuaʻa
documented occurrences · iNaturalist + GBIF · iNaturalist 198 · GBIF 296 records
Honolulu · OʻahuiNat 16 · GBIF 37 ✓
Waikīkī · OʻahuiNat 13 · GBIF 26 ✓
Kailua · OʻahuiNat 9 · GBIF 13 ✓
Honolua · MauiiNat 9 · GBIF 10 ✓
Hāʻena · KauaʻiiNat 4 · GBIF 13 ✓
ʻAlaeiki · MauiiNat 7 · GBIF 8 ✓
Manukā · HawaiʻiiNat 7 · GBIF 8 ✓
Waiākea · HawaiʻiiNat 5 · GBIF 10 ✓
Kahakuloa · MauiiNat 3 · GBIF 9 ✓
Wailuku · MauiiNat 3 · GBIF 9 ✓
Hanalei · KauaʻiiNat 5 · GBIF 6 ✓
Wailua · KauaʻiiNat 6 · GBIF 4 ✓
Hōnaunau · HawaiʻiiNat 5 · GBIF 4 ✓
ʻAiea · OʻahuiNat 3 · GBIF 6 ✓
Hanakāpīʻai · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 7 ✓
Kāneʻohe · OʻahuiNat 3 · GBIF 5 ✓
Kōloa · KauaʻiiNat 4 · GBIF 3 ✓
Waiʻanae · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 5 ✓
Hanakaʻōʻō · MauiiNat 3 · GBIF 3 ✓
Kalihiwai · KauaʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 3 ✓
Kalauao · OʻahuiNat 3 · GBIF 3 ✓
Kalaoa 1-5 · HawaiʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 2 ✓
Heʻeia · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 3 ✓
Lāwai · KauaʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 2 ✓
Kealakekua, Kīloa 1 · HawaiʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 2 ✓
Paʻalaʻa · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 4 ✓
Hakipuʻu · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Waimea · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 3 ✓
Honuaʻula · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Hālawa · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Waimea, Waikoloa · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Keauhou · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 3 ✓
Peahi · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Puʻuanahulu · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Kahuku · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Pūpūkea · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 2 ✓
Kaʻonoʻulu · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 2 ✓
Lālāmilo, Keanuʻiʻomanō · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Honouliuli · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Honopou · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Pōhakuao · KauaʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 1 ✓
Waimea · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 2 ✓
Paumalū · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 2 ✓
Kaulana, Awalua, ʻŌhiki · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kaʻena · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Honokōhau 1-3 · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Paunau · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Maunalua · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
ʻŌiʻo 2 · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Piʻihonua · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kalāhiki · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Keaʻau · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Laupāhoehoe, Welokā · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Olowalu · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Pūlehuiki · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Hauʻula · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kāwala · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
East Makaīwa · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kualoa 1 · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Makaʻehu · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kawaihāpai · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Honomū, Kuhua · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kapaʻa · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kaʻaʻawa · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Pūlehunui · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kīlauea · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Waipouli · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Hālawa · MolokaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Mānana · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kamoku · LānaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Kalihi · OʻahuiNat 2
Kahaluʻu · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Keauhou 1 · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1 ✓
Wahikuli · MauiGBIF 2
West Makaīwa · MauiGBIF 2
Moanalua · OʻahuGBIF 2
Nāwiliwili · KauaʻiGBIF 2
Kawaihae 2 · HawaiʻiiNat 1
Haʻikū · KauaʻiiNat 1
Waimānalo · OʻahuiNat 1
Waipiʻo · HawaiʻiiNat 1
Waiohuli · MauiiNat 1
Kalialinui · MauiiNat 1
Kēōkea · HawaiʻiiNat 1
Kaʻohe 4 · HawaiʻiiNat 1
Kahana · OʻahuiNat 1
Keawaʻula · OʻahuiNat 1
Kīpū Kai · KauaʻiiNat 1
Keahuolū · HawaiʻiiNat 1
Nāpili 2-3 · MauiGBIF 1
Mokulēʻia 2 · OʻahuGBIF 1
Waipā · KauaʻiGBIF 1
Keahialaka · HawaiʻiGBIF 1
ʻAliomanu · KauaʻiGBIF 1
Puʻuwaʻawaʻa · HawaiʻiGBIF 1
Hanakoa · KauaʻiGBIF 1
Waimalu · OʻahuGBIF 1
Kaloko · HawaiʻiGBIF 1
Lauhulu · OʻahuGBIF 1
Honomanü · MauiGBIF 1
Paukaʻa · HawaiʻiGBIF 1
Ohanaula · HawaiʻiGBIF 1
Waikapū · MauiGBIF 1
West Honomāʻele · MauiGBIF 1
Kamananui · OʻahuGBIF 1
Kaimū · HawaiʻiGBIF 1