Banana Poka and Little Fire Ant

Banana Poka, (Passiflora tarminiana), is the common name for a variety of passionfruit. The oblong ripe yellow fruit resembles a small banana, and is filled with hundreds of seeds. The attractive large pink flowers produce a tasty fruit. It is cultivated in many places and is also known as curuba. The banana poka was thought to have been introduced as a screen to hide an outhouse on the island of Hawai‘i in the 1920s. It has since spread to Kaua‘i and Maui.

All varieties of passionflower are considered weedy and many are invasive outside of their native South America. The vines grow rapidly and smother nearby vegetation, both on the ground and in the canopy. The banana poka is a special threat because it grows at higher elevations, in the last remaining native forests. The seeds are spread by feral pigs which eat the fruit, and also dig up the ground, providing a place for the banana poka to establish.

Importing foreign plants can also bring hitchhikers. The little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) arrived on the island of Hawai‘i around 1999 in imported potted plants.

The little fire ants are 1/16 inch (1.5 mm), about the size of a sesame seed. They have a painful sting that can cause a burning itch that can last for days. They prefer wet environments and nest above ground, often in trees. They can also infest houses and other structures. Little fire ants can fall on people and animals from above when disturbed.

Another stinging ant is the tropical fire ant (Solenopsis geminata) which has been in the Hawaiian Islands since 1870. This ant is about double the size of the little fire ant. It prefers drier climates, and nests in underground mounds.

If you want to bring plants into your home or garden, it’s best to choose native plants grown by local nurseries. Being aware of invasive species and reporting them to authorities helps in the effort to eradicate them.