'Ohai

Description:

Hawaiian Name: 'Ohai Small tree coastal tree. Attractive feathery leaves and vermillion flowers. Pea family/ Fabaceae. Reportedly shortlived nitrogen fixer.

Habitat:

Sandy dunes, withstands strong constant wind. Grows only in Hawaii.

Notes:

Endangered Species Act - listed Endangered. Subject to habitat destruction for development also bugs and rodents eat seeds. These individuals are threatened by a proposed expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort. There is a proposal to turn this particular piece of the 800+ acres property, which is pristine coastline into a public park. By pristine we mean intact strand and dune system complete with native plants and very few invasives. Although rodents and some invasive plant species are present.