Flower profile

Koster's curse

Miconia crenata

Koster's curse (Miconia crenata) is a flowering plant in the Melastomataceae family.

Koster's curse is a flowering plant.

–states where USDA records it

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
iNaturalist has 3,046 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #4 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

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.

Names, range and relatives

More from the Melastomataceae family (6 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Maryland meadowbeauty, Virginia meadowbeauty, Savannah meadowbeauty, Pinkfringe, Spanish shawl, Glory bush.

More Hawaii flowers

Pinkfringe

Arthrostemma ciliatum

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Spanish shawl

Heterotis rotundifolia

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Glory bush

Pleroma urvilleanum

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

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.