An ecological alert has been issued in Ua Pou following the discovery of an invasive plant never before recorded in French Polynesia: Miconia crenata, also known by the scientific name Clidemia hirta. This species is among the hundred most harmful varieties in the world, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Discovered last February at the foot of Poumaka Peak in Ua Pou, Miconia crenata becomes the very first variety of this invasive plant detected in French Polynesia. The alert is relayed in the latest Diren newsletter (No. 44, March 2025), which underlines the urgency of a rapid response to this single outbreak that now threatens the entire Marquesas Islands.
Original Article: French Polynesia-Ua Pou on alert against Miconia crenata
