Miconia slideshow (BHG)

Miconia calvescens: the weed that made the National Park Service go outside its boundary (Mark Tanaka-Saunders with a sapling at Helani Gardens in Hana, scene of a large population). (photoID: bhg000301)

Closeup of a seedling showing the juvenile, velvet-like leaves, from which the common name "velvet plant" is derived. The leaves have prominent mid-ribs and side veins which give them a striped appearance. (photoID: bhg000302)

The underside of the leaves is truly the distinguishing hallmark of miconia: a bright purple to dark maroon. Leaves can be quite large, as Ed Tamura of the Maui branch of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture demonstrates. (photoID: bhg000303)

This close-up of a leaf underside gives greater detail of the leaf vein pattern as well as the intense purple color. (photoID: bhg000304)

The flowers are relatively small and unspectactular; the plant's beauty is in its leaves. (photoID: bhg000305)

The small pinkish-purple fruits can contain up to 200 or more seeds each; an individual tree could produce millions of seeds in hundreds of fruits. (photoID: bhg000306)

Birds such as bulbuls and white-eyes, which are introduced fruit feeders, are known to spread miconia seeds in Tahiti. (photoID: bhg000307)

This line drawing of a seedling illustrates a likely mechanism of spread: by people. Seeds may find their way into pots of other plants and be transported to a garden some distance from the origin. This appears to be the case with the infestation on Maui. (photoID: bhg000308)

The plant is a gardener's dream: it grows readily from full shade to full sun. Here, Betsy Gagné is holding a large leaf and standing in the shade of several towering trees in Tahiti (1988). (photoID: bhg000309)

Miconia has a shallow root system; when it grows in steep, wet places, landslides are an increasing phenomenon, as here in Tahiti in 1989. (photoID: bhg000310)

When entire slopes are covered, as here in Tahiti (1988), one can see the potential for more landslides. Miconia was introduced to Tahiti at a garden near where this picture was taken, and a botanical garden along the coast near the right of the slide in Papeari over 60 years ago. It quickly escaped from garden confines via birds and by people who liked its attractive foliage. In the early 1980s there was a series of severe hurricanes in quick succession which opened holes in the forest and blew seeds even further afield. Suddenly, miconia was everywhere, and spreading even more rapidly. (photoID: bhg000311)

Today, entire valleys of Tahiti have been invaded by miconia. (photoID: bhg000312)

A monoculture of miconia in Tahiti graphically illustrates its shallow root system and the dense growth which excludes virtually every other species. (photoID: bhg000313)

Miconia has spread like a green cancer (which it what it is called in Tahiti). (photoID: bhg000314)

It simply boggles the mind how Tahiti's forests--which once resembled those of Hawaii--have been virtually destroyed. (photoID: bhg000315)

These are the two introduction spots of miconia on Tahiti over 60 years ago. (photoID: bhg000316)

This is the miconia infestation in Tahiti (1989) when it covered 60% of the native forest; today, it covers 70% and climbing. Infestations also occur on Moorea and Raiatea, neighboring islands of Tahiti. (photoID: bhg000317)

Maui appears to be a mirror image of Tahiti. The Hana coast is where the presently-known populations of miconia occur. (photoID: bhg000318)

This map closeup shows locations of the Maui populations. (photoID: bhg000319)

In 1988, on returning from Tahiti to Maui, Betsy Gagné discovered this plant growing along the Hana Highway at Alii Gardens (here with Dr. Lloyd Loope underneath the 10-year-old tree with a carpet of seedlings). (photoID: bhg000320)

The garden's owner said he had gotten the plant from his uncle down the road at Helani Gardens in Hana, where this slide shows how everything may be excluded from growing underneath a miconia patch in Hawaii. In a worst-case scenario, there could be no pig hunting or fern gathering in the lowlands, both a cultural and an ecological disaster in the making. (photoID: bhg000321)

Miconia begins by spreading out into the edges of gardens. (photoID: bhg000322)

In Hana, miconia quickly made the jump into neighboring ohia forest. (photoID: bhg000323)

The alarm was sounded and the National Park Service, the Maui Group of the Sierra Club, and The Nature Conservancy began joint control of the Helani Gardens infestation. National Park and Maui Division of Forestry & Wildlife personnel began surveying the Hana coast and located several large infestations. (photoID: bhg000324)

It became clear that the widespread nature of the infestations meant that mechanical control--such as was locally successful at Helani--would not work in the pastures and forests, so chemical control was initiated by the Maui Maui Division of Forestry & Wildlife. Prior to beginning control, the community was informed about the potential this weed had for destruction and the importance of early containment. Also explained was the procedure which begins with filling a tank with herbicide (such as Garlon 4) and attaching the tank to the belly of a helicopter. (photoID: bhg000325)

The spray rig has a long line with a ball on the end. The entire operation is controlled by the helicopter pilot. (photoID: bhg000326)

The nozzles dispense herbicide directly on to the foliage, as directed by the pilot. There is a purple dye added to aid the pilot in tracking progress and to prevent over-spraying an area. (photoID: bhg000327)

Purple dye appeared to show up better and last longer... (photoID: bhg000328)

...than blue dye from earlier trials. (photoID: bhg000329)

Individual miconia plants can be sprayed in the forest. (photoID: bhg000330)