The ʻŌhiʻa Disease Resistance Program

ʻŌhiʻa (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees are the ecological backbone of Hawaiʻi’s native forests—covering nearly one million acres, anchoring the watersheds that sustain island ecosystems, and holding deep cultural significance as a central symbol in Hawaiian traditions and iconography. Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD), caused by the non-native fungus Ceratocystis lukuohia, has killed over one million trees statewide and continues to degrade native Hawaiian forests. Established in 2018, the ʻŌhiʻa Disease Resistance Program (ʻŌDRP)—a collaboration between the ‘Akaka Foundation and the USDA Forest Service—works to identify ʻōhiʻa trees naturally resistant to ROD. By developing orchards of these resistant trees, ʻŌDRP is creating a genetically diverse seed source to support restoration efforts from community plantings to large-scale forest recovery, ensuring ʻōhiʻa continues to sustain Hawaiʻi’s ecosystems and cultural heritage for generations to come.