‘Ōhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha) is Hawai‘i’s most abundant endemic tree.
In recent years, a prolonged and widespread dieback on Hawaii Island has affected significant swaths of ‘ohi‘a forest as well as individual trees. The phenomenon has been named Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death or ROD, and researchers have identified the fungi Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia as the two pathogens lethal to ‘ohi‘a and causing ROD.
Out of caution, the transport of any part of Metrosideros polymorpha off Hawaii Island is prohibited by Hawaii Administrative Rules § 4-72-13. However, there are exceptions and situations deemed exceptional by the Chief of the DAB Plant Industry Division, Plant Quarantine Branch, that are accommodated by a permit, issued by that division, allowing off-island transport.
Science has established that when heated to a certain temperature for a certain amount of time in a vacuum kiln, the Ceratocystis fungi are killed. *
Laboratory testing can also determine whether the Ceratocystis fungi are within detectable limits in a sample.
Samples taken by a team from the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) or furnished by individuals are processed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Laboratory in Hilo. DAB charges a fee for sample collection, while, as of this August 2026 writing, there are no fees for the actual testing.
And there is reason to believe that finishes such as epoxy, lacquer, varnish, or shellac applied over wood or wood veneer that has been dried to below 20% moisture content and has been deemed free of fungi further render inert or contain any fungus.
Paul Schürch voluntarily and proactively pursued and satisfied all the above-enumerated regimens; hence, an exception to the ‘ohi‘a exclusion was granted his “Pele’s ‘Ōhi‘a” entry by the Show Chair. In admitting Paul’s piece, HFA hopes a conversation is opened that will be continued through the coming year and result in a set of rules and requirements that will be included in the 2027 Prospectus under which HFA will allow the conditional acceptance of entries to the Woodshow that may contain solid wood or wood veneers of ‘ohi‘a. HFA will likely require that Woodshow entrants using ‘ohi‘a provide negative results of lab testing and/or provide certification that wood in the entry is documented to have undergone sufficient heat treatment by a recognized entity.
*Please refer to the report published in 2022 by the US Forest Service Department of Agriculture entitled Evaluation of Kiln Heating as a Phytosanitary Treatment for Ceratocystis Infested ‘Ōhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha) Wood
Bart Potter, Hawaii’s Woodshow Committee