‘Aiea flowers have a sweet lemony fragrance, particularly en masse. A nearly ripe ‘aiea berry; the small fruits turn from green to orange when ripe. ‘Aiea leaves are often light green and can be anywhere from shiny to dull (Photograph courtesy of Eric White CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.). This small cultivated ‘aiea was 13 years old at the time of this photograph. While it frequently flowered, it only rarely produced seeds. Unfortunately, it died a few years after this photograph, probably due to overwatering. An old protected wild ‘aiea in Kona, Hawai‘i Island; note its furrowed and scarred trunk (Photograph courtesy of Eric White CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.).

Growth Requirements

General

    Unfortunately, the rarity of Nothocestrum breviflorum has so far limited its widespread cultivation in Hawai‘i (and elsewhere). Hopefully, this will change in the future since this small tree is both beautiful and a curiosity. How often can you say you have one of the very few tree species in the large plant family, Solanaceae (which has about 2,700 mostly herb and shrub species). And, that it is in an endemic Hawaiian genus. Clearly, ‘aiea is best placed as an accent in the landscape. Also, because of its slow growth, you can also keep it in a container, periodically transferring it to larger and larger pots as it grows.

    ‘Aiea does best in a site with full sunlight for all or most of the day. When you first plant it in the ground, water it regularly (once or twice a week) until you see consistent new growth. Then cut back on your watering such that the surface soil is dry most of the time (but is still moist several inches down). ‘Aiea sometimes experiences transplant shock when planted out and will drop all or most of its leaves. Don't panic! Reduce your watering to just enough to keep the soil moist and it will likely "come back to life" in a couple of weeks with some new leaf buds. 

    ‘Aiea is a slow-growing tree that tends to grow in spurts, only increasing in height six to twelve inches (30 cm) each year. Also, out in the open, young plants tend to grow more like shrubs than trees. In my (Koebele) experience, ‘aiea in the ground will "green up" a bit if fertilized, but don't seem to grow any faster than unfertilized plants. Be careful too when fertilizing your containerized ‘aiea since the fertilizer may shock it, causing your plant to lose all or most of its leaves; apply only the minimum amount to keep the plant's leaves green. Expect your ‘aiea to begin producing flowers after about five years. However, as mentioned above, it appears you'll need at least two ‘aiea near each other to produce viable seeds.

    ‘Aiea can endure drought, heat, and strong winds, and will grow in clay or lava/cinder dominant soils provided they drain water easily. Because ‘aiea grows slowly, avoid pruning your tree except to shorten unusually long branches to prevent them from breaking in a windstorm. 

Pests and Diseases

    When small (i.e., less than two feet [61 cm] tall), ʻaiea is sometimes attacked by broad mites, flea beetles, mealybugs, scale insects, and spider mites. Fortunately, larger plants seem to be much less susceptible to these attacks with the possible exception of scale insects; note the scale insects on the veins of the leaves in the nearly-ripe fruit photograph above. If you encounter any of these pests on your ʻaiea, refer to the Pests & Diseases page for methods to deal with them. 

    Near their base, ‘aiea are sometimes attacked by chewing pests such as millipedes, cockroaches, snails and slugs, etc. Small plants can be quickly girdled and die. Therefore, inspect this area frequently for damage. If you see any, apply a broad spectrum long-lasting granular pesticide and protect the lower stem with a modified plastic bottle or similar device (see Pest & Diseases; Rats and Mice).

    Nothocestrum breviflorum is adapted to the dry, easy-draining substrate of lava fields in the leeward regions of Hawai‘i Island. Therefore, poor-draining soil or overwatering can result in fatal consequences.

Special Features and Information

General

    Nothocestrum breviforum is in the Nightshade family (Solanaceae), which has about 103 genera and 2,700 species worldwide. The family contains numerous edible species, such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and eggplant (Solanum melongena). However, it also contains some extremely deadly plants with sometimes sinister names like: the Apple of Sodom, Angel's trumpet, Porcupine tomato, Thorn apple, Devil's fig, Devil's apple, and Five-Minute plant. Other relatives containing toxic chemicals are: mandrake (Mandragora officinarum), Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), and tobacco (Nicotiana spp.). The "Queen of Toxins," and one of the deadliest is Belladonna (Atropa belladonna), which contains tropane alkaloids. It is also called Devil's Berries, Death Cherries, or Deadly Nightshade [WikipediA;Solanaceae]. 

    Other native Hawaiian Solanaceae include: the indigeous ʻōhelo kai (Lycium carolinianum var. sandwicense); three additional endemic species of ʻaiea (Nothocestrum spp.); and five Solanum species [Flora of the Hawaiian Islands]. 

    In addition to the rare and endangered Nothocestrum breviflorum, endemic to Hawai‘i Island, there are three additional Nothocestrum species, all called ‘aiea.

• Nothocestrum latifolium: A rare and also endangered small tree that historically was seen in dry and mesic forests on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and Maui, but currently (2021) is only present on Moloka‘i and Maui. Past Kaua‘i observations have been questioned as a possible misidentification of N. longifolium [ECOS].

• Nothocestrum longifolium: A more secure shrub to small tree seen primarily in wet forests but also sometimes in mesic forests on all the main Hawaiian Islands except for Ni‘ihau and Kaho‘olawe [Wagner et al. 1990].

• Nothocestrum peltatum: Another extremely rare and endangered small tree seen in the mesic forests of Kaua‘i. Currently (2022), there are only about 30 known wild trees [ECOS]. 

Hawaiian Name

    ‘Aiea is a common placename in south-central O‘ahu. Examples include: a land section, mill, village, bay, stream, field, recreation center, and schools. It is also the name of a native holly on Kauaʻi (Ilex anomala), called kāwaʻu on the other Hawaiian Islands. Lastly, ‘aiea can also mean "exhaustion, fatigue, or weariness" [Ulukau].

    Pukui & Elbert [1986] state that hālena is the "Same as ‘aiea."

Etymology

    Nothocestrum is derived from the Greek word, nothos, meaning "false," and Cestrum, the name for a large American plant genus [Wagner et al. 1990]. In turn, the etymology of cestrum is uncertain, but is likely derived from the Greek word kestron (κέστρον), which has several meanings [Wiktionary;cestrum]. 

    The species name, breviflorum, comes from two Latin words, brevis, meaning "short, little, small, or stunted" and floris, meaning "flower or blossom" [Latdict], likely referring to the short corolla (all the flower's petals) length relative to the calyx (all the flower's sepals) for this species relative to the other three endemic Nothocestrum species [Wagner et al. 1990].