Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_muntingia_calabura
Jamaican Cherry
Muntingia calabura
Open this record in the interactive Atlas
About Jamaican Cherry
Jamaican Cherry (Muntingia calabura) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Its checklist classification is naturalized; current extent is unassessed. Native to tropical America and a rapid pioneer of open, disturbed ground and forest margins. Frequent flowering, attractive fleshy fruits, and many tiny seeds support colonization. Bishop Museum and Smithsonian document naturalized Kauaʻi occurrence; an April 2025 note removing an Oʻahu question mark applies to Oʻahu, while Kauaʻi remains plain K.
Kauaʻi evidence
Taxonomic identity, tree form, diagnostic morphology and island occurrence use the linked reviewed sources. Historical planting, cultivation, naturalization and invasive status are separate. Generated imagery is not occurrence evidence.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Muntingia calabura
- Common names
- Jamaican Cherry · Strawberry tree · Panama berry
- Other names
- Muntingia calabura · Jamaican cherry · Strawberry tree · Panama berry · Muntingia glabra · Muntingia rosea · Muntingia calabura var. trinitensis
- Record type
- Species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Recorded on Kauaʻi
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not yet assessed
- Evidence date
- 2026-10-06
- Evidence limits
- Present island-wide abundance, occupied habitat, recruitment, population trend, and ecological effects have not been quantified; no invasive severity is inferred from checklist or forestry status.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Not yet assessed
- Food and resource needs
- Not yet assessed
- Reproduction
- White flowers are followed by small, many-seeded red berries eaten by animals. Dispersed minute seeds establish readily on exposed ground; Kauaʻi-specific dispersers, phenology, seed longevity, and recruitment rates are unknown.
- Shelter
- Not yet assessed
- Growth form
- Small tree
Threats and conservation
- Monitoring
- Not yet assessed
- Data gaps
- Current population extent and trajectory · Additional species-specific ecological and conservation sources
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Not yet assessed
- Seasonal description
- Jamaican Cherry (Muntingia calabura) is an introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist and the 2026 Smithsonian checklist. Its checklist classification is naturalized; current extent is unassessed. Native to tropical America and a rapid pioneer of open, disturbed ground and forest margins. Frequent flowering, attractive fleshy fruits, and many tiny seeds support colonization. Bishop Museum and Smithsonian document naturalized Kauaʻi occurrence; an April 2025 note removing an Oʻahu question mark applies to Oʻahu, while Kauaʻi remains plain K.
Sources and further reading
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:320779-2
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:320779-2/general-information
- https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/publications/pdf/tr75.pdf
- https://editedimages.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Imadaetal.2025Hawaiianvascularplants.xlsx
- https://doi.org/10.5479/si.32124043