Brief SummaryRead full entry
Faya is a large shrub or small tree growing to 8 m (rarely to 12 m) tall with evergreen foliage, The leaves are 4-11 cm long, with an entire to crenate margin. The flowers are inconspicuous catkins, the fruit a fleshy dark purple drupe 6-8 mm in diameter containing 1-5 seeds, with a rough waxy coating, produced in clusters.
The fruit is edible, though of limited palatability; the fruit wax can also be used for production of candles. Historically, the seeds have also been ground into flour as a famine food. The species is introduced, and invasive, on Hawaii.