Koa wilt there are no local hosts, it is suggested that one plant seeds from several different sources in the hope of finding a resistant tree. Currently, research about Koa wilt is focused primarily on determining resistant Koa varieties. Koa is a commodity, a dominant native forest species, and an important element of Hawaiian culture. Koa is highly prized hardwood that can sell for prices as high as $150 a board foot, a special measurement indicating one-foot by one-foot by one-inch wood piece. Koa is currently being grown on plantations to support this high demand, yet some plantations have a 90% tree
Acacia koa confirmed this close relationship; the estimated time of divergence is about 1.4 million years ago. "A. heterophylla" sequences nest within those of the more diverse "A. koa", making the latter paraphyletic. Both species are thought to be descended from an ancestral species in Australia, presumably their sister species, "Acacia melanoxylon". Dispersals most likely occurred via seed-carrying by birds such as petrels. Both species have very similar ecological niches, which differ from that of "A. melanoxylon". A closely related species, koaia or koaie ("A. koaia"), is found in dry areas. It is most easily distinguished by having smaller seeds that are