‘Ānapanapa (Colubrina asiatica)

Hawaiian name: ‘Ānapanapa
Botanical name: Colubrina asiatica
Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)
Status: Indigenous
Where found: Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, O‘ahu, Ni‘ihau & Kaua‘i
Water/Light: Dry, with full sun exposure
Elevation range: 0 to 330 feet
Height: About 10 feet, with an 8 foot spread

Notes: ‘Ānapanapa have bright, shiny green leaves that stay vibrant even in the harshest of conditions. In Hawaiian, ‘ānapanapa means “to sparkle”. When crushed and mixed with water; the roots, bark and leaves produce a sudsy soap that was used throughout Polynesia. ‘Ānapanapa is considered passively aggressive. As a free form shrub, it can help to control erosion on hillsides or stream banks but, if planted too close, the sprawling habit of these shrubs can overwhelm other native plants, climbing up and over them. ‘Ānapanapa is drought, wind, salt and heat tolerant.