MacGougan at Large

Notes from Hawaii - 8

Albizia Trees

One of the most striking things about Kauai is the proliferation of albizia trees. These are large, stately trees with a distinctive flat top. I was told they were imported from Africa, but a quick Google search suggests that they actually originated in Indonesia. The children’s book “Go, Dog. Go!” culminates in dogs having a big party on top of an albizia tree. Until I landed on Kauai, I had assumed the big, flat-topped tree in that book was, like the car-driving dogs, a figment of P.D. Eastman’s imagination. But they are very real, very beautiful, and a big problem. They are an invasive species that crowds out native trees and plants. The island is trying to reduce the albizia population and use the wood to generate electricity. It’s a challenge to reduce them, though, because they are the fastest-growing trees in the world. 

Albizias also present danger to people and property because they aren’t as solid as they look. They’re prone to drop large branches and they aren’t well-anchored to survive windstorms. 

All of this is too bad, because they look great and it’s fun to imagine dogs having a party up there.

Midwesterners

Where do Hawaii’s visitors come from? All over, of course. We heard a variety of languages spoken and we met people from a wide range of states. I had assumed that the largest cohort would come from California, since it has such a large population and is the closest state to Hawaii. However, our unscientific survey found that a disproportionate share of the vacationers were from the Midwest. This makes a certain amount of sense. Midwesterners have more cold weather to run away from than Californians. Also, there seems to be a cultural affinity. Midwesterners are known for being friendly, easy-going, and in less of a hurry than either East or West Coasters. In fact, I wonder how much of Hawaii’s refreshing Aloha Spirit is fueled by a visitor population weighted to the Midwest.