Diospyros sandwicensis
endemicEbenaceae

Diospyros sandwicensis

Lama

Endemic to Hawaiʻinative

Found naturally nowhere else on Earth.

Diospyros sandwicensis is a species of flowering tree in the ebony family, Ebenaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It belongs to the same genus as both persimons and ebony. Its common name, lama, also means enlightenment in Hawaiian. Lama is a small to medium-sized tree, with a height of 6–12 m (20–39 ft) and a trunk diameter of 0.3 m (0.98 ft). It can be found in dry, coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of 5–1,220 m (16–4,003 ft)...

Read more on Wikipedia →
summary via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA
Seasonality
10 flowering · 58 fruiting annotations · iNaturalist · fetched Jul 2026
JFMAMJJASONDpeak
flowering (peak July) 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 · 3 · iNaturalist
open-licensed photos · click any to view its source
Where documented · 102 ahupuaʻa
documented occurrences · iNaturalist + GBIF · iNaturalist 117 · GBIF 208 records
Waimea · KauaʻiiNat 8 · GBIF 14
Puʻuwaʻawaʻa · HawaiʻiiNat 8 · GBIF 9
Waiʻanae · OʻahuiNat 5 · GBIF 12
Waikīkī · OʻahuiNat 5 · GBIF 9
Keauhou 2 · HawaiʻiiNat 7 · GBIF 6
Puʻuanahulu · HawaiʻiiNat 5 · GBIF 7
Kailua · OʻahuiNat 4 · GBIF 6
Hālawa · OʻahuiNat 4 · GBIF 5
Maunalua · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 4
Waimānalo · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 4
Waimea, Waikoloa · HawaiʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 3
Waipiʻo · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 3
Kahikinui · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 2
Kaloko · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 2
Kahauiki · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 2
Moanalua · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 2
Kamananui · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 3
Mākaha · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 2
Honuaʻula · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 2
Kuliʻouʻou · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 2
Waiawa · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 1
Kamehamenui · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 1
Kalauao · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 2
Pūlehunui · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 1
Kapuʻa · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 1
Alaeakila, Kaapahu · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Pānauinui · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Makaweli · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Hōlualoa 4 · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kahuku · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kaʻohe Mauka · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Waipā · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Keahialaka · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kamaʻole · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Honouliuli · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kahanahāiki · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Ulupehupehu · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Honolulu · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Hōnaunau · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kalihiwai · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kalialinui · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Honomanü · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Hōlualoa 1-2 · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kāneʻohe · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Hanalei · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Waiākea · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kalihi · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Honopū · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1