Wiliwili - Erythrina sandwicensis

• There is an old Hawaiian legend of four sisters. The first sister was beautiful, but the other three were ugly. The first sister was named Moholani and her husband was lured out to sea by sirens and Moholani asked her sisters to help, but they refused. Moholani had a son and he was given to the gods to be raised by them. He was furious at the other sisters for not helping, so he sent lightning down from the heavens and turned the tree sisters into wiliwili trees.
• Long stemmed leaves, wide speeding branches, and spring flowers that range in color from pale red to white.
• Buoyant wood.

    Source: (Majesty I, 1982)

• Native to Hawaii.
• Up to 35 ft. in height.
• Flowers from white, coral, orange, red, and bicolors.
• Blossoms and seeds are valued in making leis.

    Source: (Rauch, 2000)

• ​​Related to koa, monkey pods, coral trees, peas, peanuts, soy beans, and other bean family trees. 
• Tree sheds its leaves during summer and blossoms in fall.
• They are seriously threatened by the Erythrina gall wasp.
• The larvae eat the leaves destroy the tree.

    Source: (Wageman, 2008)