Matching Plants
Koa
The federal status of the plant (Endangered, Threatened, or Not listed) based on the US Fish and Wildlife Services Environmental Conservation Online System as of 6/26/2024. Also see "Population Status" designations (PEPP, SWAP). Learn more.
NoneThe Hawaiian name(s) or other common name(s) of the plant.
KoaThe taxonomic family for the plant.
FabaceaeDoes your site's environmental conditions meet this plant's needs?
The climate zones where this plant grows best. Learn more.
Salt tolerance is variable. If your site is right on the coast with direct salt spray, do some additional research to determine its tolerance. Learn more.
NoIf the plant grows better above or below 2,000' in elevation. Learn more.
>2,000 Feet OnlySelect what best represents the amount of sunlight at the planting site.
The amount of water the plant needs: 1 is lowest, 5 is highest. Learn more.
3Plant prefers well-drained soil. Learn more.
YesDoes this plant meet your landscaping needs?
The plant's growth form.
TreeThe range of height of a fully-grown plant, in feet.
15-60'The range of width of a fully-grown plant, in feet.
20-40'Select the landscape design role you are looking for. Learn more.
Screen, Specimen, ShadeSelect a flower color or other attractive feature to filter for those plants. Learn more.
Cream, White, Yellow, Other, Decorative Seed HeadsDoes this plant have the personality you're looking for?
How easy it is to find the plant. Learn more.
VariableSelect options below to match your gardening experience. Learn more.
AverageWhether or not the plant is short-lived. Learn more.
YesIf the plant spreads, how evenly. Learn more.
MinimalIf the plant needs pruning or not. Learn more.
Limit pruningSpecialists strongly discourage pruning of any kind as it’s typically unnecessary and makes the trees vulnerable to disease.
Does this plant provide the ecosystem and/or ethnotobanical benefits you're looking for?
Koa has been described as one of the most valuable trees in Hawai’i (note all the ethnobotanical uses shown here!). For more detailed info, click here from the Nativeplants.hawaii.edu website).
How the Ancient Hawaiians used the plant: food, tools, shelter, canoes, medicine, spiritual, crafts, lei, ornamental, and/or fire.
Crafts, Games, Lei, Medicine, Music, Ornamental, Shelter, Spiritual, ToolsNot all native plants, birds occur on all islands. Select to show only what naturally occurs on your island. Learn more.
Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi, Maui, HawaiʻiSelect to feature plants valued by native yellow-faced bees and/or honeybees. Learn more.
Yellow-faced Bees, Honey BeesProtection status for the plant under Federal and Hawai'I state laws. Learn more.
SWAP, Important interactionThe native status of the plant in Hawaiʻi: Indigenous (found natively throughout Hawaiʻi), Endemic (found natively in specific areas), or Canoe (brought to Hawaiʻi by Ancient Hawaiians from other places in Polynesia). Learn more.
EndemicWelcome to the Go Native App
Things will go here.
While they may be short-lived (5-20 yrs) in urban lowland settings, there is value in planting this amazing endemic tree to maintain connections with our forests. Ask for a koa inoculated with rhizobia.