10 Guidelines for Native Plant Restoration Projects in Hawaiʻi

Aloha! Do you love native plants? Are you passionate about protecting the ʻāina around you, from mauka to makai? We are so excited you found us! The Hawaiʻi Rare Plant Restoration Group (HRPRG) put together these guidelines specifically for community groups looking to mālama ʻāina by conducting native plant restoration projects in natural areas connected to their communities. We welcome you to this community of work, full of practitioners have been called to care for the ecosystems of Hawaiʻi. These practitioners form a community full of scientific, technical, and experiential knowledge about how to care for the native plants and animals of this pae ʻāina.

Here, we present a set of guidelines that have been standard practice amongst professional conservation organizations for decades. Whether you are just starting out, are getting into the grove of your restoration, or are looking to expand your project, we hope that by following these Best Practices, you can be more successful in your native plant restoration efforts.

Who are you? What are your goals?

Restoration can look like many things, you can restore a house, a car, even relationships. Your restoration goals will be shaped by your intentions! Depending on your goals, there may be different resources that are appropriate to guide your efforts. For example, Ka Ulu Nani is the State's Urban and Community Forest Program. Some of their projects include Coconut Coconut Program and Shade Trees for Schools. Alternatively, private landowners can collaborate with the state as Forest Stewardship Partners or under the Legacy Forest Program.

These guidelines are particular to native plant and habitat restoration and are centered on ecological principles. They also consider some key social relationships that shape the landscape (namely land tenure) and environmental regulations (such as for safe herbicide use). While the work is often similar, these guidelines differ in some important ways from landscaping or gardening with native plants–namely the species that are appropriate to use and where the seeds of those species come from.

If you have questions about how your restoration goals interact with the guidelines shared below, reach out! We want to hear from you, and if necessary, we are happy to connect you with the appropriate resources to help you fulfill your restoration goals.

Restoration Project Guiding Questions

The following guidelines are loosely ordered from the beginning (#1-2) of project planning, to an established native plant restoration project (#9-10). With #3-7 addressing key components of a restoration project, with #8 and 9 covering planning and implementation considerations for your project. Click on each question to learn more.

1. Who are your local Restoration resources?

3. Why avoid Nursery Stock?

5. Genetic Diversity in your restoration: Who, what when where, why and how?

7. Plant Propagation Protocols

9. Adaptive Management

2. When do you need permissions and permitting from?

4. How to determine what plants are locally sourced for your project?

6. What is Phytosanitation?

8. Long-term Planning

10. Rare Plant Recovery

Just starting out? We recommend you start with #1. Have some work under your belt? We encourage you to explore these guidelines, comparing our recommendations to what you do. Hopefully the resources you need to make any adjustments can be found below. Don't hesitate to reach out, we are happy to help support you in understanding these recommendations and how you can go about implementing them given the resources you have available to you.

1. Consult with local Restoration Specialists

You are not alone! Hawaiʻi has a rich history of mālama ʻāina, from traditional land management, to the implementation of agency land management and the growing contributions of community driven restoration projects. Through connecting with this community, your efforts can benefit from the lessons learned by generations of practitioners. Additionally, when tapping into the existing network of restoration efforts, it is enriched by your project. Itʻs a kākou thing.

These practitioners can help support you through understanding many of the guidelines listed below–native species, seed sources, phytosanitation, monitoring, invasive control, tools to make the work safer, easier, and more effective, and much more.

Add Links to:

Laukahi

DOFAW, Kaʻulunani

STEW-Map

Directory for Island Botanists? Forest Steward staff? DOFAW planners?

Kauaʻi

Oʻahu (Susan, James, etc.)

Maui Nui

Hawaiʻi

2. Landowner Permissions and Plant Permitting

There are numerous pathways for community groups, non-profits, and private landowners to participate in mālama ʻāina. If you are not the landowner of where you want to collect seed, remove non-natives, or plant natives remember to engage in conversation with the landowner before you get started! Different plants, land disposition, and use require different permissions and/or permits.

(non-native vs. not threatened or endangered native vs threatened or endangered, land disposition (state forestry, state parks, etc, federal, private), and use (traditional cultural practices, personal, commercial, scientific (including threat mana require different permissions and/or permits.

Use this form to determine what permission and permits you need for your restoration project (link to google form)

Permits are required for any work on State lands, including collecting and planting common native plant species.
Permits are required for any work with Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Species. See #10 if your are interested in incorporating T&E species in your restoration.

3. Avoid Commercial Nursery Stock

Unless under contract with a producer, and they are following phytosanitation and local sourcing standards, avoid using commercial nursery stock for restoration.

Commercial nursery stock is best used for private gardens, education, and public landscapes. However, these plants often lack source information and genetic diversity, which reduces long-term fitness and ultimately, the success of your restoration efforts.

4. Consider Geographic Location & Use Only Native, Locally Sourced Species

Identify your site’s mountain range, elevation, and whether it’s on the leeward or windward side.

Non-native species are not appropriate for natural restoration areas.
At a minimum, plants should be sourced within the same moku (island) as the restoration site to maintain ecological integrity.
Identify the habitat type (e.g., coastal, dry forest, shrubland, mesic, wet forest) to guide species selection
These Seed Zone Maps show a geographically defined area where plant materials (like seeds or seedlings) can be transferred with minimal risk of poor adaptation to the new location.

5. Represent Genetic Diversity

In addition to species diversity, creating genetic diversity of your outplantings will generate long-term resilience in the plant community you are restoring. To ensure your restoration plantings have strong genetic diversity, practice the following Collection protocols.

Collect from Many Individuals

Collect seeds from a minimum of 10/30/50 individuals per population to maintain genetic diversity.
Space collections across the population to avoid sampling closely related individuals.
Collect from both big and healthy plants to scraggly looking individuals. This helps represent the full gene pool at your site and increases the resilience of the plant community.

Spread Collections Over Time and Space
1. Collect at different times during the fruiting season to capture early, mid, and late-maturing seeds.
2. Sample across the site’s microhabitats and elevation gradients, if present.

Take a Small Proportion
1. Collect no more than 10–20% of available ripe seeds from any one plant to minimize impact on natural regeneration.

Document Everything and Follow Local Guidelines for Tracking Provenance
1. Record location (GPS), date, habitat type, elevation, and plant characteristics.
2. HRPRG has developed a system to track the source of plant materials collected from the wild and used in restoration from seed to outplanting. More information about how this system works is available here:

6. Prioritize Phytosanitation

When conducting restoration, it is critical to ensure good sanitation practices are followed to avoid introducing unwanted pests and diseases. Plants, tools, shoes, clothing, hiking gear, and other materials brought into the site should be cleaned and inspected to remove all weed seeds, pests, and soil-borne pathogens. Effective phytosanitation considers that:

All plants used in restoration are be free of invasive pests, snails, weeds, and diseases.
Plants should be visually inspected and tested for ants before being transferred and planted. Refer to the HRPRG phytosanitation guidelines [link provided].
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) is a disease impacting large tracts of ʻōhiʻa forest on Hawaiʻi Island. As it is currently less prevalent on other islands, ROD phytosanitation guidelines have been developed to slow down its spread and protect native forest. By following these guidelines you are supporting this effort, and protecting your restoration from potential ROD impacts.

Currently, Little Fire Ant, Coqui Frog, and Coconut Rhinocerous Beetle are important pest species to be aware of, especially because one of the ways these species move around is through plant nursery materials and products. Follow links to more information.

7. Review and Follow Propagation Protocols

Growing native plants for habitat restoration requires careful planning, attention to local conditions, and adherence to best practices that ensure ecological integrity and long-term success.

Seed Handling and Storage: Use proper handling, cleaning, drying and storage conditions to preserve viability. (link to HSBP info)
Germination: Follow species-specific pre-treatment (e.g., stratification, scarification) protocols. (other hort resources links)
Nursery Practices: Use clean, well-labeled containers and avoid cross-contamination. Avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides unless necessary. (link to HRPRG propagation BMP)

8. Plan for Long Timelines

Seed sourcing and plant propagation alone can take 6–12 months or more. During this time, begin site preparation by removing invasives, establishing management trails, and improving soil conditions. Once planted, some species can take years to become established and produce seeds on their own.

Tip 1: Larger trees and shrubs generally offer more immediate habitat impact than smaller herbaceous species.
Tip 2: Planting in phases with workhorse species first is recommended (link to HSBP workhorse list?)
Reminder: Use Herbicides and other management tools responsibly. Always consult the landowner specialist before using any chemicals at your restoration site. (link to P1 weed control list).

9. Define Project Goals, Monitor Indicators of Success, and Adapt Management

Clearly define measurable restoration goals (e.g., increase native plant cover to 50%, reduce erosion 25% in 3 years) and develop a monitoring protocol.

Examples of measurable indicators:
1. Plant survival and growth
2. Native vs. invasive species cover
3. Soil stability
4. Pollinator or wildlife presence
Monitoring Plots should be permanent plots or transects for consistent data collection.
Collect baseline data to gather pre-restoration data to compare with future monitoring.This can include vegetation cover, species present, soil conditions, and photo documentation.
Set a Monitoring Schedule at regular intervals (e.g., 6 months, 1 year, annually thereafter) to capture seasonal changes and peak growth periods.
Use consistent, simple, repeatable methods based on standard techniques such as:
1. line intercept or point-intercept for cover;
2. quadrat counts for species richness and abundance;
3. photo points for visual comparison

Track and analyze data to compare results to your original goals, look for trends in survival, cover, diversity, or invasive species return.
Adapt and respond to indicators by reevaluating goals, replace failed species, adjust watering or weeding schedule, and increase invasive control.
Communicate findings to share results with partners, funders, and the community. Use graphs, maps, and photos to tell the story of the project.

10. Preparing Restoration project for Rare Plant Recovery

T&E species depend on diverse native plant communities for survival and protection from stresses like drought and erosion. They should only be introduced to mature restoration sites with established, regenerating native vegetation. Planting rare species in underdeveloped sites often leads to low survival and wasted resources. If your goal is to restore habitat to support T&E species, start planning now! If you want to know if your site is ready for T&E species, get in touch with the State Botanist. For more information on what rare plant restoration entails, read carefully below.

Permits are required for all activities involving Threatened, Endangered, and PEPP species on both public and private lands. More information about obtaining permits in Hawaiʻi is available here: HRPRG Permits.
- Planting T&E species on public lands requires permits
- Planting T&E species on private lands requires both permits and landowner permission.
- Once planted, T&E species have the same legal protection as wild individuals—removal and other management requires avoidance, additional permits, and mitigation.
- Seedlings that survive naturally onsite are legally protected and cannot be disturbed.

T&E species must be protected from ungulates (feral goats, cattle, pigs, deer, sheep). Sites in areas with ungulates must be fenced and animals removed before planting. Fences must be maintained in perpetuity.

Ongoing threat management is needed to ensure species persistence. Threat control plans must be developed, implemented, and maintained in perpetuity for:
- Wildfire control and prevention
- Prevention of trampling
- Eliminating or reducing impacts of invasive non-native arthropods, mollusks, rodents, non-native birds, and invasive plants

For rare species recovery projects, plants should be sourced from wild populations, not cultivated sources. For more information about how to obtain verified stock, please contact DOFAW offices.

Ecosystems Extension

University of Hawaiʻi, Cooperative Extension Program