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Erythrina

These colorful and fast-growing trees are from the tropics, and warm temperate areas like the Himalayas and Argentina.  There are over 114 species and varieties, widely distributed throughout the world.  Waimea had one of the world’s best collections of these genus until a microscopic wasp found its way to Hawaii in 2005.  In Hawai‘i, the popular wiliwili tree, E. sandwicensis, has been decimated. Even old trees growing in the Valley from long before the botanical garden was established, are on their last legs. The Erythrina Gall Wasp lays its eggs on newly emerging leaf and flower buds which then swell to grotesque shapes. In December of 2008, another predator wasp was released as a bio-control.  We hope this effort will be successful to stop the EGW infestation in the Hawai`i islands.

These trees can grow up to 30 feet high and its bright red seeds are used in lei-making.  The lightweight wood of the wiliwili was used by early Hawaiians for surfboards and fishnet floats, and is still used for outrigger canoes.  In Central and South America, these trees are often used to shade crops like coffee.

Several species may prove to have important medicinal and economic uses.  This collection is part of an international research effort to study the medicinal value as well as other uses of these plants.