Replaces Instant Information/Ornamentals and Flowers Series no. 19.Information sheet on using the Hawaiian native plant naio (Myoporum sandwicense) in landscapes

Bornhorst, Heidi L.

Hensley, David

Rauch, Fred D.

Stibbe, Rhonda

ScholarSpace at University of Hawai'i at Manoa

Cooperative Extension Service Ornamentals and FlowersJune 1997 OF-19**Replaces Instant Information/Ornamentals and Flowers Series no. 19.Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Charles W. Laughlin,Director and Dean, Cooperative Extension Service, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. AnEqual Opportunity / Affirmative Action Institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawaii without regard to race, sex, age, religion, color, nationalorigin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or veteran status.Myoporum sandwicense A. Gray.Common names: naio, false sandalwood, bastard san-dalwood, naeo, ngaioNative habitat: Hawaii (probably on all of the main is-lands); Cook IslandsCharacteristicsNaio is a many-branched evergreen shrub or small treewith dark gray, grooved bark, growing to 3–15 ft high.No selections have been made. Its form is highly vari-able, and botanists have recognized a number of subdi-visions within the species. Its stem growth habit variesfrom erect to prostrate. The alternate, leathery leaves, 2to 6 inches long, are narrow-oblong, pointed, thick, andmostly entire and smooth. Its bellshaped flowers aresmall (1⁄4– 1⁄2 inch long), slightly fragrant, and may bewhite, white with purplish-pink splotches, or pink. Flow-ers are produced in spring and summer in clusters offive to eight along the twigs. Its rounded fruits are fleshy,greenish-white to purplish, about 1⁄4 inch in diameter,and have ribs when dry.CultureNaio has a very large natural range, from coastal strandareas to high, dry sites in the Hawaiian mountains, andit thus will grow under a wide range of environmentalconditions. It grows best in full sun with good soil drain-age, and it has very good drought, wind, and salt toler-ance. It has a moderate to fast growth rate when estab-lished. Because naio does not flush out readily, it shouldbe pruned or shaped only when growing vigorously.Naio has few pest or disease problems.NaioLandscape usesNaio is very suitable for the landscape plantings, due toits attractive, medium-textured foliage. It can make agood specimen shrub or informal hedge plant and withtime may be trained to become a small garden tree. Naioshould be appropriate for xeriscapes and coastalplantings, and it makes an excellent potted specimenplant.PropagationNaio can be started from seeds or cuttings. Fresh, ma-ture, cleaned seeds should be used. Seeds take about 18months to germinate. Seedlings are somewhat slowgrowing in the initial stage.Additional notesThe hard, dark-yellow-green wood was used by Hawai-ians for the main timbers of houses. The scented woodwas substituted for sandalwood when that ran out.Fred D. Rauch, Heidi L. Bornhorst, Rhonda Stibbe,and David HensleyCTAHR Department of Horticulture

Naio

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/2880/1/OF-19.pdf

Naio

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