#medinilla

Medinilla magnifica is a plant native to the Philippines which has spread throughout the tropics and has long been cultivated as an ornamental ‘exotic’ plant. It comes from the family Melastomataceae with which I have little familiarity to the point that from a list of 175 genera I only definitely recognized one (Tibouchina)!

I came across this plant growing in the wild on my first day arriving on Oahu while waiting for my check-in time at the hotel to arrive and collected it and several others in the hopes that at least one would turn out to be a native. It turns out that as with a lot of the flora especially around urban areas, this is an introduced species becoming increasingly naturalized and invasive with time. The two species of Medinilla in Hawaii are problematic because they continue to be sold by oblivious or unscrupulous nurseries and stores, and they produce thousands of tiny seeds which are spread by birds. The plant can grow as a terrestrial or an epiphyte and does well in low light conditions meaning it can displace native plants that would normally grow under the canopy or in some cases right in the crown of rare palm trees.

There’s no doubt that it is a striking plant with great aesthetic value, but after seeing so many native plants at Hui Ku Maoli Ola, Lyon Arboretum, Koko Crater, as well as while hiking, I know there are no shortage of stunning Hawaiian natives and people working hard to get them into the hands of those who are seeking botanical beauty!

Medinilla Magnifica