India, Oct. 28 -- Hawaii once planted a tree to protect its hillsides. Today, that same tree is associated with damaged homes and costly power repairs. The Big Island Invasive Species Committee, a group based on Hawaii Island, says foresters brought albizia to Hawaii because they wanted trees that grew quickly on eroding slopes. But the plan backfired over time, and the tree became a major problem for people and for forests.

Albizia, or Falcataria moluccana, is native to the Moluccan Islands in Indonesia. It arrived in Hawaii in 1917. At the time, territorial foresters were concerned about the erosion of slopes caused by cattle ranching and logging. They wanted trees that grew quickly, and albizia did grow quickly. Decades later, as the ...