ʻŌhiʻa ʻai (Syzygium malaccense)
Hawaiian name: ‘Ōhi‘a ‘ai (Mountain apple)
Botanical name: Syzygium malaccense
Family: Myrtaceae (Myrtle Family)
Status: Polynesian-introduced
Where found: Maui, Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i, O‘ahu & Kaua‘i
Water/Light: Wet, with full to partial sunlight
Elevation range: 600 to 1,800 feet
Height: Up to 60 feet

Notes: ‘Ōhi‘a ‘ai, or mountain apple, was one of the first fruits early Hawaiians tasted before others were introduced by later settlers. Fruit bearing takes about 7 years from planting, but the sweet, pear-like, fruit is well worth the wait. Medicinally, the bark was used in remedies for sore throats and deep cuts. For treatment of bronchitis, ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai leaves were crushed and ingested. A brown kapa dye can be made from the inner bark, and the fruit skin produces a red dye.
*Photo courtesy of Starr
From Work Done by Whit Germano to Catalog Native Hawaiian Plants
MNBG

Join Us for the
20th Annual
Arbor Day Garden Expo!
Trees Giveaway
A Few Native Hawaiian Plants from the MNBG Collection
- ‘A‘ali‘i (Dodonaea viscosa)
- Alahe'e (Psydrax odorata)
- ‘Ānapanapa (Colubrina asiatica)
- Hala (Pandanus tectorius)
- Hala pepe (Dracaena auwahiensis)
- Hau (Hibiscus tileaceus)
- Hō‘awa (Pittosporum glabrum)
- ‘Iliahi (Santalum haleakalae)
- Kamani (Callophyllum inophyllum)
- Koa (Acacia koa)
- Koai‘a (Acacia koaia)
- Koki‘a, Hau hele ‘ula (Kokia drynarioides)
- Koki‘o ke‘o ke‘o (Hibiscus arnottianus subsp. arnottianus)
- Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o (Hibiscus arnottianus subsp. immaculatus)
- Koki‘o ‘ula‘ula (Hibiscus kokio ssp. kokio)
- Koki‘o ‘ula‘ula (Hibiscus kokio ssp. saintjohnnianus)
- Koki‘o ke‘o ke‘o (Hibiscus waimeae ssp. waimeae)
- Kou (Cordia subcordata)
- Kukui (Aleurites moluccana)
- Loulu (Pritchardia remota)
- Maʻo (Gossypium tomentosum)
- Ma‘o hau hele (Hibiscus brackenridgei)
- Māmaki (Pipturus albidus)
- Mau‘u lā‘ili (Sisyrinchium acre)
- Milo (Thespesia populnea)
- Naio (Myoporum sandwicense)
- Nānū (Gardenia brighamii)
- Ōhai (Sesbania tomentosa)
- ʻŌhiʻa ʻai (Syzygium malaccense)
- ‘Ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha)
- Pōhinahina (Vitex rotundifolia)
- Pōkalakala (Polyscias racemosa)
- ʻUlu cv. ‘Maʻafala’(Artocarpus altilis)
- Wauke (Broussonetia papyrifera)
- Wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis)