Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_falcataria_moluccana

Albizia

Falcataria falcata

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About Albizia

Albizia (Falcataria falcata) is an introduced tree documented in Kauaʻi forestry records and invasive-plant management plans. Older names include Falcataria moluccana, Paraserianthes falcataria, and Albizia falcataria. Nitrogen fixation can increase soil nutrient inputs, while its broad canopy can suppress native regeneration; large falling limbs also create hazards. The reviewed sources establish island presence and management concern, while current extent remains unquantified. Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist documents naturalized presence on Kauaʻi; current extent remains unassessed.

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum 2025 Checklist wide: Taxon=Falcataria falcata; Status=nat; K=K. Identification and ecological statements have the separately linked reviewed sources. The checklist establishes documented island presence; it does not establish current abundance or invasion extent. The 1918–1959 Kauaʻi reforestation working register records 112,531 plants under Albizia falcataria across 25 entries dated 1927–1954. 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: Falcataria falcata
Common names: Albizia
Other names: Falcataria moluccana · Paraserianthes falcataria · Albizia falcataria · Albizia moluccana · Albizia · Moluccan albizia · Falcataria falcata
Family: Fabaceae
Order: Fabales
Record type: Species or taxonomic group

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence: Recorded on Kauaʻi
Origin: Introduced
Conservation status: Conservation priority; formal rank not listed
Evidence date: 2026-10-05
Evidence limits: Current extent and population trajectory require refreshed surveys; public occurrence is island level only.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats: Lowland wet/mesic disturbed forest · Roadsides · Valleys
Food and resource needs: Light, water, nutrients, and suitable soil or substrate
Reproduction: Viable propagules and suitable establishment conditions
Shelter: Suitable soil, substrate, and vegetation structure
Growth form: Tree

Threats and conservation

Threats: It is itself a major threat · Also creates windfall and infrastructure hazards
Conservation actions: Early detection, removal, watershed-scale control, restoration follow-up
Monitoring: Early detection, removal, watershed-scale control, restoration follow-up
Data gaps: Additional ecological and conservation citations are recommended

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing: Not assessed
Seasonal description: Albizia (Falcataria falcata) is an introduced tree documented in Kauaʻi forestry records and invasive-plant management plans. Older names include Falcataria moluccana, Paraserianthes falcataria, and Albizia falcataria. Nitrogen fixation can increase soil nutrient inputs, while its broad canopy can suppress native regeneration; large falling limbs also create hazards. The reviewed sources establish island presence and management concern, while current extent remains unquantified. Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist documents naturalized presence on Kauaʻi; current extent remains unassessed.

Sources and further reading

Explore field guides

Invasive Plants and Plant Biosecurity on Kauaʻi

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