Pittosporaceae

Kona cheesewood

Pittosporum hosmeri Rock

Family: Pittosporaceae
Genus: Pittosporum

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Kona cheesewood: Hōʻawa or Kona cheesewood Pittosporaceae Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands Oʻahu (Cultivated) The early Hawaiians used the wood to make gunwales for canoes. The o — Photo: David Eickhoff from Pearl City, Hawaii, USA, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (1)

English: Kona cheesewood

Synonyms

Pittosporum amplectens Sherff
Pittosporum hosmeri f. saint-johnii (Sherff) J.E.Haas
Pittosporum hosmeri var. saint-johnii Sherff

Characteristics

Growth habit: Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Hawaii: native

Photos

Photo: David Eickhoff from Pearl City, Hawaii, USA, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Tom and T Herman, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: David Eickhoff from Pearl City, Hawaii, USA, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: David Anderson, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.