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Pāpala

This understory plant does well in wet or moist conditions, and does well in a pot.

Scientific NameCharpentiera ovata subsp. niuensis

Federal StatusNone

Common NamePāpala

FamilyAmaranthaceae

Other Common NamesKoʻolau Range papala

Does your site's environmental conditions meet this plant's needs?

Climate Zones

Coastal Arid

Coastal Mesic

Inland Mesic

Salt TolerantNo

Preferred ElevationNo preference

Water Requirements2-3

Well Drained SoilYes

Does this plant meet your landscaping needs?

Plant FormTree

Height10-30'

Landscape UsesAccent, Containers, Screen

Does this plant have the personality you're looking for?

AvailabilityVariable

Good for Novices?Average

Long-lived?No

Degree of SpreadMinimal

Pruning NeedsEasily shaped

Responds well to pruning. To encourage new branches, prune just above outward-facing leaves.

Does this plant provide the ecosystem and/or ethnotobanical benefits you're looking for?

When dried, the wood is very light and burns quickly and was used as pyrotechnics by early Hawaiians.

Ethnobotany UsesFire

IslandsOʻahu

Population StatusNone

OriginEndemic

Welcome to the Go Native App

Things will go here.

Site Conditions?Select appropriate response below to feature plants best adapted to the environmental conditions where you live.

Climate Zone?The climate zones where this plant grows best. Learn more.

Exposure?Select what best represents the amount of sunlight at the planting site.

Water Requirements?The amount of water the plant needs: 1 is lowest, 5 is highest. Learn more.

Well Drained Soil?Plant prefers well-drained soil. Learn more.

Salt Tolerant?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.

Elevation?If the plant grows better above or below 2,000' in elevation. Learn more.

Landscaping Attributes?Appropriate selections below will feature plants best adapted to your landscape design needs.

Plant Form?The plant's growth form.

Landscape Uses?Select the landscape design role you are looking for. Learn more.

Plant Height?The range of height of a fully-grown plant, in feet.

Plant Width?The range of width of a fully-grown plant, in feet.

Flower Color?Select a flower color or other attractive feature to filter for those plants. Learn more.

Plant Temperament?Appropriate selections below will further refine the list to feature plants that meet your specific needs.

Good For Novices??Select options below to match your gardening experience. Learn more.

Spreader??If the plant spreads or not. Learn more.

Degree of Spread?If the plant spreads, how evenly. Learn more.

Short Lived??Whether or not the plant is short-lived. Learn more.

Pruning Needs?If the plant needs pruning or not. Learn more.

Availability?How easy it is to find the plant. Learn more.

Additional Criteria

Ethnobotany Uses?How the Ancient Hawaiians used the plant: food, tools, shelter, canoes, medicine, spiritual, crafts, lei, ornamental, and/or fire.

Plants' Presence by Island?Not all native plants, birds occur on all islands. Select to show only what naturally occurs on your island. Learn more.

Valued by Birds?Select a native forest bird to feature plants beneficial to/associated with that bird. Learn more.

Valued by Bees??Select to feature plants valued by native yellow-faced bees and/or honeybees. Learn more.

Federal Status?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.

Population Status?Protection status for the plant under Federal and Hawai'I state laws. Learn more.

Origin?The 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.

Matching Plants

Pāpala

Does your site's environmental conditions meet this plant's needs?

Does this plant meet your landscaping needs?

Does this plant have the personality you're looking for?

Does this plant provide the ecosystem and/or ethnotobanical benefits you're looking for?

Welcome to the Go Native App

Site Conditions?
Select appropriate response below to feature plants best adapted to the environmental conditions where you live.

Climate Zone?
The climate zones where this plant grows best. Learn more.

Exposure?
Select what best represents the amount of sunlight at the planting site.

Water Requirements?
The amount of water the plant needs: 1 is lowest, 5 is highest. Learn more.

Well Drained Soil?
Plant prefers well-drained soil. Learn more.

Salt Tolerant?
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.

Elevation?
If the plant grows better above or below 2,000' in elevation. Learn more.

Landscaping Attributes?
Appropriate selections below will feature plants best adapted to your landscape design needs.

Plant Form?
The plant's growth form.

Landscape Uses?
Select the landscape design role you are looking for. Learn more.

Plant Height?
The range of height of a fully-grown plant, in feet.

Plant Width?
The range of width of a fully-grown plant, in feet.

Flower Color?
Select a flower color or other attractive feature to filter for those plants. Learn more.

Plant Temperament?
Appropriate selections below will further refine the list to feature plants that meet your specific needs.

Good For Novices??
Select options below to match your gardening experience. Learn more.

Spreader??
If the plant spreads or not. Learn more.

Degree of Spread?
If the plant spreads, how evenly. Learn more.

Short Lived??
Whether or not the plant is short-lived. Learn more.

Pruning Needs?
If the plant needs pruning or not. Learn more.

Availability?
How easy it is to find the plant. Learn more.

Ethnobotany Uses?
How the Ancient Hawaiians used the plant: food, tools, shelter, canoes, medicine, spiritual, crafts, lei, ornamental, and/or fire.

Plants' Presence by Island?
Not all native plants, birds occur on all islands. Select to show only what naturally occurs on your island. Learn more.

Valued by Birds?
Select a native forest bird to feature plants beneficial to/associated with that bird. Learn more.

Valued by Bees??
Select to feature plants valued by native yellow-faced bees and/or honeybees. Learn more.

Federal Status?
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.

Population Status?
Protection status for the plant under Federal and Hawai'I state laws. Learn more.

Origin?
The 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.