COMMON NAME
Lama
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Diospyros sandwicensis
ALSO KNOWN AS
Elama, Hawaiian ebony
Plant family
Ebony (Ebenaceae)
Plant group
Deciduous Trees and Shrubs
A tree/shrub up to 35' tall and a trunk diameter of up to 1' in diameter, typically one of the dominant species in lowland dry forests of Hawaii.
24 reports
4+
OBSERVERS
24+
OBSERVATIONS
Identification hints
New leaves are vibrantly colored from red to pink to orange.
Did you know?
Lama trees have very strong wood that has been used to make fish traps. The name lama means "enlightenment" and the wood has also been used to make many religious items such as rafters and posts for temples. The sapwood of lama is white and the heartwood is red to reddish-brown. Lama trees are found in lava fields and dry to moist forests. It is endemic to Hawaii.
DISTRIBUTION IN TH U.S.
Hawaii
HABITAT
Growing in dry, mesic and wet forests on all islands of Hawaii at elevations of 15-4000 ft above sea level.
ATTRIBUTES
Leaves
The leaves are oval shaped up to 3.5 in long. They start out pinkish in color and turn green, thick and leathery as they mature.
Flowers
The flowers are small, greenish-white to pink, and grow in the leaf axils.
Fruits
The flowers eventually become small, oval fruits that turn yellow to red as they ripen.
Bloom Time
Lama trees bloom year round.
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