Featured Alien: Ivy Gourd

Scientific Name: Coccinia grandis

How It Came To Hawai‘i :

Ivy gourd usually grows in tropical areas. It first appeared in the Islands in 1969 and may have been brought here as a garden plant.

Impact Since Its Arrival:

It took barely 20 years for the ivy gourd to become a pesty weed. Birds quickly spread the seeds found in the red fruit of the plant. Now thick blankets of ivy gourd suffocate other plants and shrubs in parts of O‘ahu and of Kona on the island of Hawai‘i .
Ivy gourd is a nuisance in gardens and a serious threat to our natural community.

Plants That Climb to the Top

Plants without stiff woody stems seek support from other plants. Their vines will creep upward until they reach the top. Once on top, the invading plant becomes a thick layer of stems and leaves and blocks the sunlight from trees and shrubs below. Plants will slowly die without sunlight.

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