Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_terminalia_catappa
Tropical Almond
Terminalia catappa
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About Tropical Almond
Tropical Almond (Terminalia catappa) 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 across tropical Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands and strongly associated with coasts and lowland disturbed sites. Buoyant corky fruits move by water, while animals and people also transport them. Bishop Museum and Smithsonian document naturalized Kauaʻi occurrence; current abundance and impacts are unmeasured.
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
- Terminalia catappa
- Common names
- Tropical Almond · Indian almond
- Other names
- Terminalia catappa · Tropical almond · Indian almond
- 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, Polynesian-introduction, forestry, or planting status.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Not yet assessed
- Food and resource needs
- Not yet assessed
- Reproduction
- Small flowers on spikes produce buoyant one-seeded drupes. Water, fruit-eating animals, and people disperse the fruits; Kauaʻi-specific phenology and recruitment are unmeasured.
- Shelter
- Not yet assessed
- Growth form
- 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
- Tropical Almond (Terminalia catappa) 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 across tropical Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands and strongly associated with coasts and lowland disturbed sites. Buoyant corky fruits move by water, while animals and people also transport them. Bishop Museum and Smithsonian document naturalized Kauaʻi occurrence; current abundance and impacts are unmeasured.
Sources and further reading
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:171034-1
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:171034-1/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