Kadua littoralis
Endemic Hawaiian coastal shrub in the Rubiaceae with starlike white four- to five-petaled flowers, inhabiting wet rocky sea cliffs and talus, tolerant of salt spray and wind, and listed as At Risk.
Common Names
Seacliff Starviolet, Coastal Hedyotis, Måreväxt, Pilo, Manono
Summary
An endemic Hawaiian coastal plant with a herbaceous, low-growing shrubs/subshrubs habit, glossy succulent-like leaves in a basal cluster, and white tubular flowers with four- or five-petaled corollas; scent not pleasant. It grows on wet rocky sea cliffs and coastal talus and shows tolerance to salt spray at 2–6 m.
In cultivation it prefers full to part sun and well-drained media, and is typically grown near sea cliffs with mulching using black or red cinder; flowers nearly year-round and is tolerant of salt spray and wind. Maintenance includes trimming spent stalks and brown woody seed capsules and foliage; seeds are tiny black and should be refrigerated for sowing. Common garden pests include ants, mealybugs, thrips, aphids, and red spider mites, with ant control helping reduce others; used as a modern landscape plant.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
10-16 inches
Spread
10-16 inches
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun to partial sun.
Soil Type
Rocky, well-drained coastal soils and well-draining potting media with coral, cinder, crushed coral, and sand
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Year-round
Foliage Color
Medium to dark green foliage.
Fall Foliage Color
Unknown
Growth Rate
Not specified
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Hillebr.
- Publication
- Fl. Hawaiian Isl. : 166 (1888)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Gentianales
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Genus
- Kadua