ʻApapane gray with small black eyes with a brown outline. The back of its wings and its tail are colored black, while back bottom is a grayish-white. Apapane are found in mesic and wet forests dominated by "ōhia lehua" ("Metrosideros polymorpha") and "koa" ("Acacia koa") trees. The best habitat also contains "kōlea lau nui" (" Myrsine lessertiana"), "naio" ("Myoporum sandwicense"), and "hapuu" ("Cibotium" spp.) tree ferns, while "māmane" ("Sophora chrysophylla") is a common species in high elevation foraging habitat. Most apapane are found at an elevation above , keeping the birds away from mosquitoes. It lives on the islands of Hawaii,
Acacia koa a diameter of . Flowering may be seasonal or year round depending on the location. Fruit production occurs when a koa tree is between 5 and 30 years old. The fruit are legumes, also called pods, with a length of and a width of . Each pod contains an average of 12 seeds. The long, wide seeds are flattened ellipsoids and range from dark brown to black in color. The pods are mature and ready for propagation after turning from green to brown or black. Seeds are covered with a hard seed coat, and this allows them to remain dormant