‘Ānapanapa (Colubrina asiatica)

Photo credit: MNBG

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 (Ni/ K/ O/ Mo/ WM (Launiupoko))
Water/Light: Dry, with full sun exposure
Elevation range: 0 to 330 feet
Height: About 10 feet, with a 15 foot spread

‘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. In addition to it’s prevalence throughout Polynesia, ‘ānapanapaʻs native range extends as far as Africa, India, and all the way to Australia.  ‘Ānapanapa is considered aggressive and is even considered invasive in Florida where it is not native. 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 can be pruned heavily or left to sprawl as erosion control.