‘Ōhi’a - Metrosideros polymorpha var.- Myrtaceae
Endemic Shrub to tree up to 100'
Sea Level to 8000'
Full sun to partial shade
There are 5 species of ‘Ōhi’a
M. polymorpha, M. macropus, M. rugosa, M. tremuloides, M. waialealae
M. polymorpha has 8 varieties within the species, each island having its own variety.
Polymorpha, meaning many forms describes ‘Ōhi’a perfectly.
Can be found on dry lava flows to wet forests.
Leaves can be shiny glossy dark green in M. polymorpha var. glaberrima to fuzzy hairy greyish green in M. polymorpha var. incana.
New shoots/growth or "liko" can be as beautiful as flowers ranging from green to pink to red.
The powderpuff like flowers can range from green, yellow, red, orange, and everything in between.
Flowers turn to seed capsules containing small hair-like seeds.
‘Ōhi’a is a beautiful hardwood that was used for tools, canoes, and construction.
Flowers and liko used in lei making
‘Ōhi’a is a very special tree for cultural, ecological, and environmental reasons. ‘Ōhi’a is the most dominant tree in the forests of Hawai'i. It is a pioneer species being one of the first species to colonize new lava fields. It is also a keystone species. ‘Ōhi’a are home and food for many of our endemic birds and insects. Many of our endemic epiphytes and bryophytes grow on the trunks of ‘Ōhi’a. Fallen, dead ‘Ōhi’a trees end up being the perfect growing medium for future generations of ‘Ōhi’a. ‘Ōhi’a is always giving back, we need to give back to the ‘Ōhi’a.
‘Ōhi’a have been in decline since the new disease Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death or ROD. Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death is a fungal disease that grows in the sapwood of the tree. ROD enters the tree through a wound in the tree (cutting, weed wacking, animals, wind breaking branches, etc.) Over 1 million ‘Ōhi’a have been lost since 2014 on Hawai'i Island alone. Research is being done on the resilience of living ‘Ōhi’a in ROD infested areas and the resilience of their seed. The research is slow because ‘Ōhi’a grow slow, but they are finding some positive results. One thing we can do to help is plant an ‘Ōhi’a in our yards. Even if everyone on island planted a tree in their yards it still wouldn't make up for how many ‘Ōhi’a we have lost from ROD. Infected and dead trees should not be moved or taken to the dump. Before and after hiking spray boots with isopropyl alcohol, wash clothes, STAY ON THE TRAIL. The ‘Ōhi’a thank you. Click the link below and or watch the video below to learn more about Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death.
Everyone wants different ‘Ōhi’a color varieties, yellow, orange, salmon, etc. The only way to guarantee the color you want is to propagate by cuttings or air layers. ‘Ōhi’a grown from seed are not guaranteed to be the same color as their mother. I am always growing ‘Ōhi’a from seed but I am also always taking cuttings from my ‘Ōhi’a Mamo (yellow) and ‘Ōhi’a 'Alani (orange) mother stock AT HOME. I am also always keeping ROD in mind. I sterilize my equipment between cuttings to prevent ROD and other diseases.