This tree or plant is
native to Hawaii although the ancestral species is believed to have come
from the
southwest Pacific. The species consists of many subspecies that
are highly variable in characteristics of morphology such as size, leaf
type, flower color and hairiness. The lehua is important as it is the major
large species of the Hawaiian forest and is the micro ecosystem that
provides food for many of the native forest bird species. The wood is dense
and red in color. For a short period the tree was harvested commercially in
the Pahoa area to provide railroad ties for rail lines in the western United
States. Commercial charcoal production in the early 1900's also made
extensive use of the lehua trees. The lehua is the flower that represents
the Big Island and is used in leis.
southwest Pacific. The species consists of many subspecies that
are highly variable in characteristics of morphology such as size, leaf
type, flower color and hairiness. The lehua is important as it is the major
large species of the Hawaiian forest and is the micro ecosystem that
provides food for many of the native forest bird species. The wood is dense
and red in color. For a short period the tree was harvested commercially in
the Pahoa area to provide railroad ties for rail lines in the western United
States. Commercial charcoal production in the early 1900's also made
extensive use of the lehua trees. The lehua is the flower that represents
the Big Island and is used in leis.