Mēhamehame facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mēhamehame |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Flueggea
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| Species: |
neowawraea
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| Synonyms | |
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Drypetes phyllanthoides (Rock) Sherff |
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The Mēhamehame (scientific name: Flueggea neowawraea) is a special flowering tree found only in Hawaii. It's an endemic species, meaning it naturally grows nowhere else in the world! This tree is part of the family Phyllanthaceae. It used to be one of the biggest trees in Hawaii, and its super hard wood was important to Native Hawaiians. Today, the Mēhamehame is in big trouble and is considered critically endangered.
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Meet the Mēhamehame Tree
The Mēhamehame tree loves to grow in different kinds of Hawaiian forests. You can find it in dry forests, coastal mesic forests (which are a bit wet near the coast), and mixed mesic forests (which are also a bit wet). These areas are usually found at elevations from about 250 to 1,000 meters (820 to 3,280 feet) above sea level.
A Giant of the Forest
Long ago, the Mēhamehame was one of the largest trees in all of Hawaiʻi. It could grow as tall as 30 meters (about 98 feet)! That's like a ten-story building! Its trunk could also be very wide, up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) across.
Forest Friends
The Mēhamehame often grows near other cool Hawaiian plants. Some of its neighbors include the kukui (Aleurites moluccanus), hame (Antidesma pulvinatum), ʻahakea (Bobea sp.), alaheʻe (Psydrax odorata), olopua (Nestegis sandwicensis), hao (Rauvolfia sandwicensis), and ʻaʻiaʻi (Streblus pendulinus).
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Why the Mēhamehame is in Trouble
Sadly, the Mēhamehame tree has faced many challenges. Like many other plants in Hawaii's dry and mesic forests, its numbers started to drop. But a really big problem arrived in the 1970s.
The Black Twig Borer
A tiny insect called the black twig borer (Xylosandrus compactus) caused huge damage. This beetle attacked the trees, leading to a massive decline in the Mēhamehame population. It was a very sad time for these giant trees.
Where They Live Now
Today, you can only find small groups of Mēhamehame trees in a few places. They are mostly in the northwestern part of Kauaʻi, the Waiʻanae Range on Oʻahu, the southwestern slopes of Haleakalā on Maui, and the Big Island's Kona coast.
Most of the living Mēhamehame trees you see today are not full, tall trunks. Instead, they are often new shoots growing from the base of older trees that have died. Some are also young trees that people have planted to help the species survive.
The Amazing Wood of Mēhamehame
The wood of the Mēhamehame tree is incredibly strong and durable. It also has a special wavy or "fluted" pattern that makes it easy to recognize. Because the wood is so tough, you can still find many dead Mēhamehame trunks standing in the forests, even years after the trees have died.
Native Hawaiians knew how strong this wood was. They used the extremely hard Mēhamehame wood to make tools and weapons.
