Wikstroemia is the only native genus, and I guess all the species go by the Hawaiian name 'akia. Wikstroemia uvi-ursi is a common landscaping groundcover, and I don't think it's native to this island. Wikstroemia phillyreifolia, or "false 'ohelo", is a distinctive plant with poisonous red berries, abundant in dry areas on Kilauea. Wikstroemia pulcherima is a roadside weed of Kona and Kohala, but being a native it's the kind of weed we like to see.

Wikstroemia sandwicensis is a fairly widespread tree on Hawai'i. The young plants at first appear with large 4"-8" long dark green leaves, and when they become full sized trees the leaves are usually only about 1" long. They seem to drop their leaves frequently or seasonally, because some trees are found to be only very sparsely leaved, with numerous new leaf buds.