Forest & Kim Starr
Family
Euphorbiaceae
Botanical Name
ALEURITES moluccanus
Plant Common Name
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
Handsome foliage that is maple-like and a frosty gray and green, candlenut produces flushes of pretty white flowers year 'round and crops of green fruits that have dark seeds rich in flammable oils. A tropical, evergreen tree that has many economic uses, it is native to the lowland forests of Southeast Asia and the southwestern Pacific. Although the state tree of Hawaii, it is not native and is actually considered quite invasive there and in other tropical regions. It attains a rounded, spreading canopy with smooth sandy brown bark.
The foliage of candlenut is lovely and soft. First emerging a downy and frosty gray, the leaves are oval to lobed (like those of a maple) often arrowhead-shaped. When mature, leaf undersides remain fuzzy and silvery and flutter in the slightest breeze. In flushes across the year, stem tips bear clusters of pretty, small, white, five-petaled flowers. These become golf ball-sized light green-gray fruits that house one or two seeds after being pollinated by bees. These hard-shelled seeds are rich in oils that traditionally were strung upon a coconut palm frond's midrib and lit to illuminate the darkness. Soot from the burned nuts is used in tattooing, and can also make a coppery dye.
Grow candlenut in full sun to light shade in any moist soil that has decent drainage. Tolerant of salt, drought and even water-retentive soil, this species is regarded as an invasive as its fast growth, repeated flowering and production of viable seeds readily causes one tree to become a grove.
The tree is quite messy, repeatedly dropping leaf litter and the rounded fruits. Also, there are health concerns regarding all parts of this plant, more information can be gleaned from http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/pi/pest/BROCHURE_TOPTENproof.pdf
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
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Growth Rate
Very Fast
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
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Habit
Oval/Rounded
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White
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Fruit Color
Light Green, Gray Green
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Gray Green, Gray
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Gray Green, Gray
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Gray Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green
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Bark Color
Sandy Brown
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
Yes
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
Yes
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
