Invasions Let's visit Hawaii and review what has happened to the native flora since humans arrived.
One century after Captain Cook's first contact about 150 introduced species were known from the islands. Today over 800 introduced species are known. Almost one-half of the species of vascular plants found on the Hawaiian Islands are introduced. Moreover, most of the plants that you see when you visit the Hawaiian Islands are not native, especially in the lowlands. Tibouchina urvilleana Invasive exotics now pose at least as great a threat to many Hawaiian plants as direct habitat destruction.