Koa Haole and Jackson’s Chameleon

The white leadtree (Leucaena leucocehala), is called koa haole (foreign koa). This is a common small tree in both urban and wild areas—also known in Hawaiian as the ‘ēkoa or false koa. The koa haole resembles the young immature koa tree. The mature koa tree develops the distinctive long sickle shaped phyllodes that most people call “leaves.”

The koa haole is drought resistant, fast growing, and produces many seeds. It can quickly take over an area with dense thickets of trees. It is native to Central America, and has a variety of uses. They can stabilize soil and halt erosion where native flora has been destroyed. The leaves make good fertilizer, and wood burns well. Certain livestock can eat it in limited quantities. The untreated leaves in large quantities are toxic to mammals.

The Jackson’s chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii) is native to East Africa. It was first brought to Hawai‘i in 1972 as a pet. It escaped captivity and has established wild populations on Hawai‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu. The wild chameleons threaten native insects and snails.

The koa haole was intentionally spread in the wild as food for livestock. The Jackson’s chameleon was an accidental escape into the wild. They live in a community of naturalized introduced species, that form new relationships with each other. The term “novel ecosystems” has been used to describe this phenomenon.

It is tempting to believe this new mix is good enough, and the work of restoring the native ecosystem is futile. Fortunately, we know that restoration is possible. We also know that a strong biodiverse native ecosystem is more resilient than a haphazard combination of plants and animals brought together by humans.