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PlantFiles: Koa
Acacia koa

 
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Family: Mimosaceae
Genus: Acacia (a-KAY-see-uh) (Info)
Species: koa

2 vendors have this plant for sale.

Category:
Trees

Height:
30-40 ft. (9-12 m)
over 40 ft. (12 m)

Spacing:
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)
20-30 ft. (6-9 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
Unknown - Tell us

Bloom Color:
Pale Yellow

Bloom Time:
Blooms all year

Foliage:
Evergreen

Other details:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
This plant may be considered a protected species; check before digging or gathering seeds

Soil pH requirements:
5.1 to 5.5 (strongly acidic)
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)

Propagation Methods:
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Scarify seed before sowing

Seed Collecting:
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds

By palmbob
Thumbnail #1 of Acacia koa by palmbob

By OregonCoastSeth
Thumbnail #2 of Acacia koa by OregonCoastSeth

By OregonCoastSeth
Thumbnail #3 of Acacia koa by OregonCoastSeth

By htop
Thumbnail #4 of Acacia koa by htop

By htop
Thumbnail #5 of Acacia koa by htop

By htop
Thumbnail #6 of Acacia koa by htop

By htop
Thumbnail #7 of Acacia koa by htop

There are a total of 11 photos.
Click here to view them all!

Profile:

3 positives
1 neutral
No negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Positive htop On Dec 15, 2007, htop from San Antonio, TX
(Zone 8b) wrote:

Koa is endemic to the Hawaian Islands. At present it is listed as a secure species; however, its habitat has and is being cleared and many trees destroyed. It is being reforested in some areas. Early Hawaiians carved canoes from these hardwood trees. It has been used to make surfboards, paddles and house framing. This endemic tree produces two different kinds of leaves. The juvenile leaves look a bit fern-like with the mature leaves resembling a scythe.

Positive babajawo On Feb 28, 2007, babajawo from Healdsburg, CA wrote:

I am one of three people that I know of in Sonoma County, California (USDA zone 9, Sunset Zones 14 and 15) who are successfully growing dozens of Acacia Koa trees outdoors year round in the ground! Our lowest lows are between 18 and 22 degrees Fahrenheit. As long as the trees are protected from frosts and freezes for the first year or two of life, they do very well outside in the ground in these zones/conditions.

Positive foodiesleuth On Nov 6, 2004, foodiesleuth from Honomu, HI
(Zone 11) wrote:

The wood from the koa tree is so prized in Hawaii that it is becoming scarser in its own native habitat. Some irresponsible wood workers will 'poach' the trees regardless of the damage they might cause all around them. In some areas of our island a special effort is being made to re-forest koa plantings, but old stands, unless located in higher elevations where it might be hard to harvest and transport, are disappearing.

The leaves and trees look very much like the Earleaf Acacia (Acacia auriculiformis) pictured in today's (11/06/04) Plant DataBase newsletter.

The name koa means bold, brave, warrior.

Neutral palmbob On May 19, 2004, palmbob from Tarzana, CA
(Zone 9b) wrote:

Native Hawaiian tree- can get a large, thick trunk. Wood from this tree is highly prized - and orange color that is one of the finest woods for furniture, construction and carving. Tree itself is sort of ordinary looking. Not sure of hardiness- could possibly be a bit more cold hardy than zone 11.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Healdsburg, California
Huntington Beach, California
San Diego, California
Honomu, Hawaii



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