Flower profile

Koster's curse

Miconia crenata

Koster's curse is a flowering plant. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.

–states

3,046HI sightings*

3,046U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Hawaii

Quick look

Miconia crenata, commonly called Koster's curse, is a species of plant in the family Melastomataceae. It is a perennial shrub native to Central and South America, including the Caribbean, and it has been introduced to tropical parts of the Indian Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Ocean. It is regarded as an invasive species in many of these regions.
From Wikipedia's article Miconia crenata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Melastomataceae family. ^iNaturalist
In Hawaii, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,046 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #4 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

Koster's curse gift ideas

Handmade koster's curse gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

Placeholder

Koster's curse art print
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Koster's curse greeting card
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Koster's curse mug
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Koster's curse earrings
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Koster's curse embroidery pattern
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Koster's curse sticker
Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in January–December.

Flowering records by month in Hawaii (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (41 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe: Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. ^NatureServe
Hawaii: Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. ^{HAR 13-107}

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

More Hawaii flowers

Pinkfringe

Arthrostemma ciliatum

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in HI: February–December

Spanish shawl

Heterotis rotundifolia

🌼 Blooms in HI: January–December

Glory bush

Pleroma urvilleanum

🌼 Blooms in HI: January–November

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Miconia crenata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Miconia crenata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Lexi Amico via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.