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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)
Patent Information: Non-patented
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
Koa does well in Eureka (cool coastal) Calif. I have three 25 ' trees grown from seed. Frost tender first years. Does NOT like wet feet. Has withstood temps. of 25 deg. Very fast growing.
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.
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.
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.
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:
, Eureka, California Healdsburg, California Huntington Beach, California San Diego, California Honomu, Hawaii
