Horticultural Notes

tree 15 – 50’ tall with an equal spread          Wiliwili is a very tough deciduous native tree often found in very dry areas. The mid green leaves are wide at the base and the trunk on older trees has a distinctive orange coloring. The flower color is variable in shades of orange and yellow and bloom after the leaves have dropped.

The early Hawaiians use the lightweight wood in canoes for the amu (the outrigger float) and as floats for fishing nets. The ornamental seeds were used in lei and the flowers have medicinal properties.[1]

In 2005 a Gall Wasp began to infest these trees and caused great damage. A parasitoid wasp was released in 2008 and does seem to be helping.

[1] http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Erythrina_sandwicensis