Shiny leaves and purple flowers led to the plants’ popularity as an ornamental, and the plant spread from its native Madagascar to Hawaii, Australia, the Caribbean, East Africa and India.

On the northwestern edge of the island of Oahu, a dirt road meanders along the coast like a ribbon of red soil and rock, dipping toward the ocean, spreading out like a fine net of trail between the ...

Read more: 15 Best Purple Plants For Your Flower Garden The first thing you ... In tropical regions, such as Hawaii, it's commonly used as a cover crop and to improve soil structure.