Hawai‘i’s Future Depends On The Coconut Tree

But because of the the coconut rhinoceros beetle, we are watching it die.

September 12, 2025

By Kima Wassel Hardy

There is no tree more emblematic of Hawai‘i than the niu— the coconut tree. Towering and graceful, its swaying fronds set the scene for postcards and daydreams.

But this tree is more than a backdrop. It is a living relative, a provider, a vital ancestor that helped Polynesians settle these islands. Niu is life.

Every part of the tree has value: nourishing water, sustaining meat, shelter from the leaves, medicine from the oil, wood from its trunk and soil stabilization from its roots. In return, all we have to do is care for it.

Today, we are watching it die.