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
Primitive koa finch Primitive koa finch fossils have been found on Maui and Oahu. It is believed that it inhabited lowland dry forests and savannas, where dominant plant species included "ka palupalu o kanaloa" ("Kanaloa kahoolawensis"), "aalii" ("Dodonaea viscosa"), "loulu" ("Pritchardia" spp.), and "koaia" ("Acacia koaia"). Unlike other species of "Rhodacanthis", "koa" ("Acacia koa") was not present in significant numbers in its habitat. The primitive koa finch was a granivore, with a bill adapted to eat the hard seeds and pods of legumes, especially "ka palupalu o kanaloa" ("Kanaloa kahoolawensis") and "koaia" ("Acacia koaia"). It may have also taken caterpillars and "aalii" ("Dodonaea