Trouble in Paradise

As I write this blog entry, I am looking out the window at our beautiful ohia trees in bloom with lehua blossoms.  As I look south, though, across to our neighbor's property I can see dozens of leafless dead ohia trees that reflect what is happening to some of our trees as well.

This last week we had a sad project -- taking photographs of the ohia trees on our property that have died because of an insidious fungus.  Just in the last year, about 12 of our beautiful ohia trees have died.  One week they look fine; but within 7-10 days we watch them die from the bottom all the way to the top.   Those of you who have visited our home in the Puna District on the Big Island can understand how devastating this is.  We have friends who live close who have lost ALL of their ohia trees!

Just this week a disheartening report from University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources was released.

Ohia trees alive and full of Lehua blossoms

You can read the report if you like by using the following link UH Ohia Report.
The Honolulu Daily Beat news is equally grim:  Honolulu Daily Beat - OHIA TREES

Same view -- 1/2 our trees gone

Here are the two important sentences from this report.

"This disease has the potential to kill ʻōhiʻa trees statewide."  "Currently, there is no effective treatment to protect ʻōhiʻa trees from becoming infected."

The first photo was taken just a year ago, and the second was taken yesterday.  At this point, all we can do is enjoy them every day, hope that they don't all die, and begin to buy (different) replacement trees.  Several of the dead trees are too close to the electric lines or the house and will have to be cut or topped.