Just in case you readers who are in Hawaii or other Pacific islands did not see see IslandSharis remark added to the daily article a few days ago......the beach almonds/kamani are all dying on her island. Will Hawaii be the next to get this disease? We have already lost our wiliwili trees. The plumerias look scary this year. What is next? Aloha
Beach Almond trees dying
The stinging caterpillar makes me nervous, it has already been found on the North Shore in Maui.
The Sea Almonds are False Kamani....so far there is no visible damage to the Kamani's, good thing too, because the Marshallese and other Micronesian peoples use the Kamani's in all sorts of medicinal purposes. I can't get anyone from "Building and Grounds" to help me figure out what is the blight on the Sea Almonds. The leaves get very mottled, then dry up. They look sick. Then the ants move in and the entire tree gets enveloped - obviously because it is weak. I haven't seen a bug - but I also haven't dug into the wood...I'm just not expert enough. I sure hope that whatever this is, it doesn't make it to Hawaii. What is wrong with the Plumerias? And what is a stinging catepillar?