What you can do toprotect your ‘ōhi‘aDo not wound ʻōhiʻa trees. ROD-causing
fungi enter through breaks in the tree bark.
Keep weed-whackers, lawn mowers, andother equipment away from ‘ōhi‘a trunksand roots. Protect trees from hooved-animal
damage. When hiking, avoid stepping ontree roots.

5THINGS

1

Avoid injuring ‘ōhi‘aWounds serve as entry points for the fungi andincrease the odds that the tree will become
infected and die from ROD. Avoid pruning andcontact with heavy equipment wherever possible.

2DON’T TRANSPORT‘ŌHI‘A INTER-ISLAND

Comply with the new quarantine rule to help
prevent ROD from spreading. Don’t move ‘ōhi‘aplants, whole or parts, ʻōhiʻa wood, or soil fromHawaiʻi island without a permit.

Please prevent spreading disease bykeeping wood on site. Do not take ʻōhiʻawood, branches, or parts to transfer orgreen-waste stations.

Rapid ‘ŌHI‘AYOU CAN DO

3

DON’T move ‘ŌHI‘A

4

CLEAN YOUR GEAR/Tools

Do not move ‘ōhi‘a wood, firewood, or posts,
especially from an area known to have ROD. If
you don’t know where the wood is from, don’tmove it and keep it out of the greenwaste.

For the latest information, maps, andupdates on rapid ‘ōhi‘a death please visit:

Death

www.rapidohiadeath.org
www.facebook.com/rapidohiadeathwww.instagram.com/rapidohialife

If you suspect rod in your area
please contact:
Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death Outreach Team
University of Hawai‘i
Cooperative Extension Service
Email: ohialove@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 969-8268

If you must work around or cut ʻōhiʻa, clean tools
and gear before and after use, especially whenused on infected ʻōhiʻa. Brush all soil off of tools
and gear, then spray with 70% rubbing alcohol.
Shoes and clothes should also be cleaned before
and after entering forests. Wash clothes with hotwater and soap.

5A mulch bed or other weed barrier around‘ōhi‘a trees keeps them from being injured bylawnmowers or weed-whackers.

WASH YOUR VEHICLE

Wash the tires and undercarriage of your vehicle
with detergent and remove all soil or mud,
especially after traveling from an area with ROD
and/or if you have traveled off-road.

What you can doto help prevent thespread

UH MāNOA COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN RESOURCES
USDA AGRICULTURal RESEARCH SERVICEUSDA INSTITUTE OF PACIFIC ISLANDS FORESTRYDEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE
Invasive Species Committees of Hawai‘i (Projects of PCSU UH MāNOA)Artwork by Laurie Sumiye

updated December 2018

a newly
identified disease‘Ōhi‘a lehua is the backbone of Hawai‘i’s
native forests and watersheds, which are
our source of fresh water in these islands.
‘Ōhi‘a trees (Metrosideros polymorpha)
cover nearly 1 million acres statewide—
they are the most important tree inHawai‘i. A disease that is new to scienceand new to Hawai‘i has killed hundreds ofthousands of ‘ōhi‘a trees across Hawai‘iIsland. Commonly known as Rapid ‘Ōhi‘aDeath (ROD), the disease is caused by thefungus Ceratocystis.

Two newly identified fungal species cause
ROD: Ceratocystis lukuohia, destroyer of‘ōhi‘a, and Ceratocystis huliohia, disrupterof ‘ōhi‘a. From a management standpoint,
both diseases infect and kill ‘ōhi‘a, and soboth cause ROD.
This disease has the potential to kill ‘ōhi‘atrees statewide. ROD was detected on
the island of Kaua‘i in 2018. The mostimportant thing we can all do is help
minimize the spread of ROD and protectʻōhiʻa for the future.

IF your ‘ōhi‘a HAS RODrapid‘ōhi‘AdeathWork with your local Invasive Species
Committee if you live on Maui, Moloka‘i,O‘ahu or Kaua‘i, and suspect ROD. Contact
us at the email or phone number listed on
this brochure if you have questions.

Symptoms of the Disease• Limbs or entire crowns of ‘ōhi‘a trees turn yellowor brown within days to weeks; dead leaves
remain on branches for some time.
• The fungi shows up as dark streaking or staining
in the sapwood, and may smell fruit-like. Thesesymptoms are not apparent unless the tree
is cut in the area of the trunk where fungus ispresent.
• To confirm ROD in a tree, a wood sample must
be tested. For Hawaiʻi Island residents, checkout our sampling video or contact us for help
with sampling at RapidOhiaDeath.org. For help
assessing ʻōhiʻa trees or taking samples on allother islands, contact your local Invasive Species
Committee.
Fungal stainingof sapwood.
ay beA tree mfor
infectedror longemonths
shows
before its.
symptom

Patchy distribution of ROD infected trees on Hawai‘I Island.

‘ōhi‘a QUARANTINE RULE
Since ROD could have devastating impacts
on Hawai‘i’s ‘ōhi‘a forests, and people could
accidentally spread it, the Hawai‘i Department ofAgriculture (HDOA) passed a quarantine rule that
restricts the transport of Metrosideros (all species,including ‘ōhi‘a), from ROD-infected islands, exceptby permit from HDOA Plant Quarantine Branch.

‘Ōhi‘a items that are prohibited frommoving off of Hawai‘i Island:• ‘Ōhi‘a plants• ‘Ōhi‘a Mulch• ‘Ōhi‘a plant parts• ‘Ōhi‘a Woodchips andsawdust• Unfinished ‘ōhi’awood and woodproducts• SoilTo apply for permits to move ‘ōhi‘a products thatcan be demonstrated to be free of ROD, please
visit: HDOA.HAWAII.GOV

Fine insect boring dust on ROD-infected ‘ōhi‘ā .

ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAI‘I WHEN TO
CUT: If the infected tree is in an otherwise
healthy forest and you see a lot of insect
boring dust, work with a certified arborist
to fell the tree. Be careful not to woundother ʻōhiʻa and use minimal cuts. Ensure all
equipment is properly sanitized. Keep thewood on site and well-covered with a tarp until
it can be burned. Burning can be done safely
in an imu, fireplace, smokehouse, or barbeque.
WHEN TO MONITOR: You may choose tomonitor the area if felling an infectedʻōhiʻatree will wound nearby healthy trees, if you
see little to no insect boring dust, or if the tree
is in a large infected area.

Infected ‘ōhi‘ā logs (left); ‘ōhi‘a logs properly secured under tarp (right).

for more information visit:
RapidOhiaDeath.org