Kou

Kauaʻi evidence

Accepted status, Kauaʻi occurrence, nativity, growth form, and names were audited against the 2026 Smithsonian checklist and linked habit source. No scientific synonym was listed in the reviewed census source. The 1918–1959 Kauaʻi reforestation working register records 1 plants under Cordia subcordata across 1 entries dated 1943. These are recorded planting quantities, not counts of surviving trees, and they do not by themselves establish current persistence, naturalization, or ecological impact. Source: Kauaʻi Reforestation Plantings 1918–1959 working register (user-supplied; reconciled 6 October 2026).

Names and classification

Scientific name

Cordia subcordata

Hawaiian names

Kou

Other names

Cordia subcordata · kou

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Recorded on Kauaʻi

Origin

Indigenous

Conservation status

Smithsonian checklist assessment: Apparently Secure; U.S. status: No Status

Evidence date

2026-10-05

Evidence limits

Island-level occurrence is retained; finer locality is intentionally withheld

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Coastal native woodland · Lowland native forest

Food and resource needs

Light, water, nutrients, and suitable habitat substrate

Reproduction

Viable flowers or seed and suitable establishment conditions; species-specific reproductive review remains open

Shelter

Suitable native vegetation structure and substrate

Growth form

Tree

Threats and conservation

Threats

Species-specific threat review pending; no fine-location evidence is published in this card

Conservation actions

Protect native habitat and verify species-specific actions against current conservation sources

Monitoring

Taxonomic identity, population condition, recruitment, and locally documented pressures; exact locations withheld

Data gaps

Species-specific ecology and threat citations · Reproductive phenology · Fine-scale habitat information intentionally not published

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Flowers and fruits may occur year-round, often sporadically.

Seasonal description

Kou (Cordia subcordata) is a tree recorded on Kauaʻi. It is indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands.

Sources and further reading

• https://doi.org/10.5479/si.32124043
• https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/hawaiianflora/speciesdescr.cfm?genus=Cordia&species=subcordata
• https://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plants/cordia-subcordata/
• https://ntbg.org/database/plants/detail/cordia-subcordata
• https://www.plantsofhawaii.org/detail/%7B344A1192-C9EC-497A-8F96-F320738D0BE5%7D

Explore field guides

• Native Trees of Kauaʻi