Introduction to The British Gardener's website

Prosopis pallida

COMMON NAME

Kiawe (in Hawaii)

TYPE

Tree

FAMILY

Fabaceae

NOTES

It is a species of mesquite tree producing either a spreading bush or moderately sized tree, bearing spines, spikes of greenish-yellow flowers, and long pods filled with small brown seeds. It is a successful invasive species due to its ability to reproduce in two ways: production of large numbers of easily dispersed seeds, and suckering to create thick monotypic stands that shade out nearby competing plants. It survives well in dry environments due to a long taproot which can reach deep watertables. It is so efficient at extracting moisture from soil that it can kill nearby plants by depriving them of water, as well as by shading them out. It can be found in areas where other plants do not grow.  The first kiawe was planted in Hawaii in 1828; today it is a ubiquitous shade tree and invasive weed on the Hawaiian Islands, but provides firewood for heating and cooking.

GEOGRAPHIC REGION

S. America - Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia

NATIVE HABITAT

Dry coastlines, dominating arid, saline soils

WEB SOURCES

wikipedia.org

tropical.theferns.info

dlnr.hawaii.gov



Prosopis pallida