Hawaii Invasive Species Council

BANANA POKA (PASSIFLORA TARMINIANA) synonym: P. mollissima

Hawaii Pacific Weed Risk Assessment: 24 High Risk

Regulatory Status: Hawaii Noxious Weed List

Prevention and Control Category: none

 

 

 

 

 

Description

• Fast growing climbing vine. Large showy pink flowers. Produces many elongated fruit that are yellow in color when ripe. Fruit contain an orange pulp with hundreds of seeds. leaves are dark green and have three distinct lobes.

Impacts

• Found in disturbed areas, open fields and around fresh water habitats. P. tarminiana will readily climb and smother trees. Fruit provides a food source for non-native animals. Seeds are dispersed by birds and feral pigs. Dense curtains of the vine can extend to the ground from canopy branches, sometimes causing branches to break and toppling trees during storms. Where the canopy has been opened, dense mats of vines also cover the understory trees and shrubs and inhibit regeneration of the native trees (Mueller-Dombois et al. 1980).

Distribution

• Kauai: Widespread in the Koke’e area

• Maui: Currently restricted to the Kula area

• Big Island: Widespread

For more information, see

• Passiflora tarminiana Datasheet from CABI
• Passiflora tarminiana information from USDA
• Passiflora tarminiana information from ISSG
• https://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/reports/pdf/passiflora_mollissima.pdf