Fayabush, (Morella faya)
Fayabush, (Morella faya) is a fast growing, quick spreading, invasive evergreen tree
capable of forming dense stands in a variety of habitats from disturbed pasture,
ranchlands, to native, dry forest ecosystems (150-1,310 m). It is native to Canary Islands,
Madeira, and the Azores. Due to its ability to fix nitrogen, fayabush dominates native
forests by outgrowing native forest plants. It was declared an invasive Hawaii noxious
weed in 1992 and is now found on Kauai, Oahu, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii. The plant was probably first cultivated in Hawaii by Portuguese laborers who made wine from the fruit. Fayabush was planted throughout the Hawaiian
Islands in reforestation efforts in the early 1920's. Original attempts at mechanical and
chemical control began in the 1950's, effectively ridding it from agricultural sugarcane
lands in Hamakua. Hawaii Sugar Planters' Association's attempts to locate potential biological control agents
from its homelands in 1955 failed. As early as the
1970's, Hawaii Department of Agriculture began to control fayabush on
Maui. In 1989, a cooperative agreement was established between HDOA and the
Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit (University of Hawaii) for fayabush
control on the Big Island of Hawaii.
For more information, see:
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