In 1917, Hawaii planted albizia to restore slopes; after 2014's Hurricane Iselle, the brittle invader helped drive $13 million in utility repairs
Hawaii once planted a tree to protect its hillsides. Today, that same tree is associated with damaged homes and costly power repairs. The Big Island Invasive Species Committee, a group based on Hawaii Island, says foresters brought albizia to Hawaii because they wanted trees that grew quickly on eroding slopes. But the plan backfired over … Read more