Aleurites Species, Candleberry Tree, Candlenut Tree, Indian Walnut, Kukui Nut, Varnish Tree

Planted several small kukui trees. All grew rapidly to 6 to 15 feet, when they flowered and produced fruit (nuts). Then they stopped gr...Read Moreowing, their leaves reduced in size, and they became ugly. Some died. What's up with this?

this is a very fast growing tree, this one is 35 years old. When the nuts fall off they will sprout on their own without doing anything

The kukui are very nice trees, they stand out on the hillside or in valleys because of their light green folliage. I had one in my yard,...Read More but finally took it out last year. While they are pretty trees, and I highly valued it's shade, They get HUGE, and the root system was verging on distructive even though the tree was a good 50' from lanai. (Yes, fast growing, and apparently easy to grow from seed as am still getting seedlings sprouting up from hidden nuts eventhough the tree came down last Nov). Perhaps called candle nut because oil from nut used to make torches? The seeds are often sanded to remove ridges, polished and made into leis. I copied some interesting info from UH site below:

Aleurites moluccana, Euphorbiaceae, kukui, candle nut tree. A polynesian tree probably brought to Hawaii by early polynesian settlers. Official tree of the State of Hawaii and island flower of Molokai. One of the most important plants of the old Hawaiians, the kukui was used for light, canoes, fishing, tanning, leis, catching birds, and as a source of food, medicine and dye. The pale green foliage of kukui trees, which commonly grow at the head of hanging valleys, stands out from great distances.

THis is a fast growing tree, used in the tropics as a source of oil and dye. It is known for its abiliy to grow in poor soils. This is...Read More a native to Malaysia, New Guinea and Australia. Saw it growing in Hawaii, too.