Hawai‘i Island Albizia Mitigation Project

Albizia (Falcataria moluccana) is an invasive species that in Hawai‘i is the fastest growing tree in the world, adding as much as 20' per year to grow to heights of over 200'. They are notoriously weak trees, prone to dropping heavy limbs and toppling due to their shallow root systems. On Hawai‘i Island, albizia increased the damage level from Tropical Storm Iselle to that of a Cat 1 hurricane, blocking emergency egress and leaving many residents without electricity or running water for weeks. Albizia can be controlled efficiently with an integrated approach of arborist removal for large hazardous trees and chemical control for stumps and smaller growth. This integrated approach was used successfully for many miles of road on the Big Island from 2015-2021.