One alien tree species — the albizia — has been fingered in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Iselle as the primary culprit for leaving Puna a quagmire of damaged houses, blocked roads, downed power lines and blackouts.

But scientists warn the "albizia monster" is not confined to Puna. Rather, stands of this towering, graceful Indonesian native — described as the fastest growing tree in the world — have taken off across the state.

Iselle, they say, was only a sneak preview for what could happen elsewhere in Hawaii if the albizia, or Falcataria moluccana, is left to proliferate.

"It’s a sign of things to come if we don’t take action," said James Leary, a University of Hawaii invasive weed specialist.

"This is a huge wake-up call," agreed Springer Kaye, manager of the Big Island Invasive Species Committee. "This is exactly what we were afraid of."

Officials estimate at least 90 percent of the trees that caused damage in the Aug. 7 tropical storm were albizia trees, which have shallow roots and relatively weak and brittle branches especially vulnerable in high wind and rain.

A bill that would have allocated $5 million to help eliminate hazardous albizia trees along key East Hawaii roads in emergencies didn’t make it out of committee in this year’s state Legislature.

The albizia was first brought to Hawaii starting in 1917 by foresters who believed the fast-growing trees would help protect Hawaii’s declining forest watersheds. In the next few decades some 140,000 albizias were planted across the state along with other alien trees such as the eucalyptus and African tulip.

Albizias have been known to grow up to an inch a day and reach 100 feet in 10 years in wet lowland forests. The largest trees are estimated at 150 feet with trunks 48 inches in diameter and massive limbs that break easily in storms or with age.

A full-grown albizia is easy to spot because it towers over the rest of the Hawaiian landscape. The top-heavy canopy is so large that it’s capable of shading more than a half-acre.

When U.S. Forest Service scientist Flint Hughes first began to study the problem 12 years ago, his focus was on the tree’s impact on the lowland native ohia forests on Hawaii island.

The nitrogen-fixing trees work to overwhelm native species while allowing the invasion of additional weeds. And there’s evidence they add nutrients and pollution to streams, which could lead to algae blooms, fish kills and smothered corals in the ocean.

"I wasn’t thinking of the social and economic hazards," Hughes said.

But over the years the trees have marched into residential areas and crept around roads and near power lines, making the safety issue leap in importance.

Increasingly, storms with high winds have been playing havoc with the Puna community, where lava flows opened the landscape and made the area more vulnerable to albizia infestation.

Toppled trees and their limbs increasingly have been blocking roads and hitting vehicles and homes in East Hawaii. During a storm in February, with gusts ranging from 30 mph to 47 mph, 14,000 residents lost electricity after falling albizia trees downed power lines.

Taking out albizia trees can be extraordinarily costly, officials said. Removal can cost anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars apiece up to $50,000, depending on size and other issues.

The trees have caused problems across the state.

In 2009 on Kauai, following two near fatalities involving large branches dropping onto passing cars and adjacent houses, the state Department of Transportation spent $1 million per mile to remove 1,500 albizia trees along Kuhio Highway, officials said.

At the time, it was estimated that 40 percent of the agency’s claims involving trees and branches were due to albizia, officials said, and there were between 50 and 100 miles of state roads where albizia trees are maturing into potential hazards.

In Manoa Valley, where the albizia was first planted, the tree has taken off, moving into residential areas, the forested hillsides and onto the ridges.

At the Lyon Arboretum in Manoa, tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on removing large albizias that threatened rare native palms and other protected species.

"It’s awful," said Jamilee Kempton, a former Lyon Arboretum arborist who works for Oahu Treeworks. "These trees were planted 100 years ago, and the state is finally seeing the impact."

Hughes, Kaye and Leary presented research this summer at the Hawaii Conservation Conference in which they described the "albizia monster."

The research outlined the "daunting" problem but noted that a highly effective herbicide is available that can help managers and landowners kill vast numbers of large trees in a relatively efficient and economical manner.

The Big Island Invasive Species Committee, in fact, conducted a demonstration project in the Keauohana State Forest Reserve in which 6,000 albizia trees were killed using the herbicide Milestone at a cost of about $2 a tree. The program was funded through state legislation introduced by state Sen. Russell Ruderman (D, Puna).

In addition, Hughes said officials hope biocontrol will help in the long run. He said Tracy Johnson, a Forest Service entomologist, is gearing up to start searching for a natural predator to the tree in its natural range in Indonesia and the Western Pacific. But finding such a species and testing to make sure it has no impact on any other species in Hawaii will take many years, Hughes said.

Scientists urged lawmakers to get serious about attacking the problem. If a storm rips through Oahu, the damage will be much greater than it was on Hawaii island, they warned.

Kaye said it may be too late to completely eradicate the tree. "But we don’t have to put up with them being over our homes, our highways and our hospitals," she said.

"I guess this is just going to happen before people take notice," Leary said of Iselle. "Shame on us if it happens twice."