Landscape March 2014 L-28 Expanding Tree Diversity in Hawai‘i’s Landscapes: Beach Heliotrope, Tournefortia argentea John Edward Montoya1 and Richard Criley1 1Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences he beach heliotrope is a small, hardy tree reaching 25–30 feet at maturity, with a rounded crown of contortedT branches that can reach 40 feet in diameter. Its tiny white to salmon pink flowers are found year round in attractive spiraled inflorescences. Basically shrubby, it requires pruning to develop a main trunk to form a tree. Beach heliotrope can withstand very hot and dry conditions and coastal environments and can survive on almost no soil at all, which makes it suitable for prob- lematic areas in the landscape and along the seashore. Recommended Use in Landscapes • Beach plant • Coastal garden plant • Specimen plant • Barrier • Windbreak Distribution Native to all tropical seashores of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Propagation Techniques • Seeds • Cuttings • Air-layering Cultural Requirements and Tolerance • Tolerant of very full sunlight • Very salt, wind, and drought tolerant • Can withstand very thin soils, even pure sand and limestone soils • Disease resistant Published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in co- operation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under the Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822. Copyright 2011, University of Hawai‘i. For reproduction and use permission, contact the CTAHR Office of Communication Services, [email protected], 808-956-7036. The university is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawai‘i without regard to race, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran. Find CTAHR publications at www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/freepubs. UH–CTAHR Expanding Tree Diversity in Hawai‘i’s Landscapes: Beach Heliotrope L-28 — Mar. 2014 Flower and Fruit Characteristics • Small white flowers in cyme inflorescence • Blooms almost year round • Fleshy, opaque, curling fruits Leaf Characteristics • Translucent foliage • Light green, silky, and hairy • Fleshy • Simple, alternate • Obovate Advantages for Use in Landscapes • Screen against salt spray • Coastal soil stabilization • Coastal gardens • Weed Risk Assessment score: 4 Disadvantages for Use in Landscapes • Can be slow growing in poor soils • Not tolerant of poor drainage Acknowledgements The authors thank Amanda Birnbaum for the many photographs she contributed to this publication. 2.