Acacia confusa Acacia confusa Acacia confusa is a perennial tree native to South-East Asia. Some common names for it are acacia petit feuille, small Philippine acacia, Formosa acacia (Taiwan acacia) and Formosan koa. It grows to a height of 15m. The tree has become very common in many tropical Pacific areas, including Hawaii, where the species is considered invasive. Its uses include chemical products, environmental management and food and drink. The bark may be ground into a powder and saturated into water to create a tea, or may be spread onto various foods as a spice and taste enhancer. The wood has
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge numerous deep gulches. Rainfall decreases to about at elevations above , where majestic koa ("Acacia koa") and red-blossomed ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha") trees form a closed-canopy forest. Further upslope, above , rainfall decreases to or less and native forest merges into abandoned pastureland where alien grasses and weeds, introduced as forage for cattle, are the dominant vegetation. Since 1989, over 400,000 koa, ōhia, and other native plants have been planted in this area as part of the refuge's reforestation program. The Pua Akala Cabin, located within the refuge, was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in August 2008.