Scientific Name: Colubrina asiatica
Indigenous: Ni’ihau, Kaua’i, O’ahu, and Moloka’i
Description: Large shrubs with extremely glossy leaves almost resembling a coffee plant. It has small yellow-green flowers that once pollinated turn into small apple shaped fruit about 3/4” in diameter. The foliage is sometimes sparse on the branches still the plant is very bushy. Often it will grow on and over other shrubs and trees, including other anapanapa, needing their support to grow taller.
Distribution: This is an indigenous plant generally found in lowland areas like near the ocean or around wetlands.
Cultural Uses: No known cultural use
Landscape Uses and Care: This plant makes excellent screens or dense hedges up to 10 ft. tall however it will get over 6 ft. wide in order to make an efficient screen. Plant it about 3 ft. apart with daily watering once established and it will do fine. Little water is needed once the plant is established though making it a great xeriscape plant. Few pests bother this plant as well.
Extra Info: ‘Anapanapa is in the same genus (Colubrina) as kauila (C. oppositifolia) which is one of the hardest of native woods.
Anapanapa