O is for Ohi'a lehua: a special tree in Hawaii

The Ohi'a lehua is an evergreen flowering tree in the myrtle family and it is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It grabbed my attention as soon as we landed. The red flowers are beautiful as are the fruits which look like woody capsules and contain numerous tiny seeds. The leaves feel leathery with an oval shape and the bark becomes silver grey, a quite wonderful tree indeed.

We have seen these trees in the high altitude tropical rain forests where they grow huge as well as small shrubs starting life on a lowland lava flow!

I read that these trees probably evolved here in Hawaii from plants that originally came from New Zealand, they are from the same genus and look similar. And I also fell in love with the New Zealand pohutakawa!

Even more important is this tree in the higher altitudes, is the source of nectar and insect prey for the Hawaiian endemic birds. Fred has captured some beautiful images of the tree and some of these birds.

Maui Amakihi, an endemic honeycreeper.

Juvenile Apapane