Ohia Lehua ( Metrosideros polymorpha )
Tree/Shrub, broadleaf evergreen, broad spreading
Height : 1m to 14m included
Origin : Hawai’i (all six major islands)
Environment : wet and dry forests, subalpine shrublands; on most soils, from sea level up to the tree line (2500 m)
Climate : mild, temperate; wide range of temperatures and rainfall
Ohia Lehua is the dominant species in Hawaiian Islands’ cloud forests and rainforests above 400 m altitude. It is also common in the seasonally wet forests, where it may share dominance with Koa (Acacia koa). Ohia Lehua appears as small shrub or tall tree, and
as everything in between. At high altitudes the shrub form is most common. It can grow on recent lava streams. The aspect of trunk can vary from rough and gnarled to straight and smooth. Native Hawaiians used the wood for construction of canoes and statues.