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Na Hulu Manu o Hawai`i
The Precious Things of Hawai`i
La`au - Plants of Hawai`i
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Natural History Home
Polynesian
Introduction Plants
Post-1778 Introduction Plants
Hala The fibre of the roots can be used in
braiding techniques. Both the female trees fruits and the male trees
blossoms are used in lei, and the leaf is woven in to containers. It
grows well in salty, windy areas.
Hau The leaves and flowers are used in lei. The bark is used for stringing, braiding, and wrapping techniques, and makes a cordage comparable to hemp rope. The wood is very lightweight and used to make the `iako (outrigger boom) and mo`o (gunwale) of a canoe. It likes a moist environment and grows well near the shore in the salt breezes.
Kou The abundant orange blossoms of this attractive tree make an elegant lei similar to `ilima. When I worked at Pu`uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park as a Cultural Demonstrator, I made lei kou each morning that the tree near the storage area was blooming. The wood is prized for food bowls as it does not flavor the food. It is tolerant of drier areas and winds.
Kukui This attractive tree has silvery-green foliage and makes a lovely addition to a garden. It does tend to drop a fair amount of litter small branches, leaves, and nuts. But these compost well. The nuts are used to make lei, as are the leaves and foliage. The tree also provides medicines and dyes, and the wood is used for canoes, food platters, and poi boards.
Mai`a The fiber is used for stringing lei, and trunk sections are used as containers for lei. Certain specialized lei also are made from the leaves. The sap is used in dye making. And, of course it is eaten.
Lama A log of this tree is used in the hula altar. It is sacred to Laka. It can be difficult to find, but the berry and the leaf are used in lei. It is a lovely tree, but I have not been able to acquire one.
`Ōhi`a-Lehua The many colors of this highly morphic tree add brightness to a garden. Today nurseries offer pale yellow to blood red varieties. It offers the blossom and the liko, classic materials for lei. It prunes easily into many shapes. About the only condition it cannot tolerate is to have its feet in stagnant water.
`Ōlapa Sacred to Laka, this tee is noted for its shimmering leaves which dance in the breeze and flash in the sunlight. The nīpu`u style of lei is the classic style used for this leaf. The tree is emblematic of the hula dancer. Again, it is difficult to acquire.
Wiliwili Our poor wiliwili trees are now endangered due to the depredations of the African wasp which destroys the growth tips. A number of people and institutions are trying to keep seed in storage until a solution can be found.
Invasive and Detrimental Species
The well-meaning but uninformed, ignorant, and sometimes downright uncaring have imported many invasive noxious plants to our islands. These plants are destroying our native ecosystems, causing loss of native plants and animals, erosion, and other problems. PLEASE to not plant them, transplant them, buy them, or propagate them. If you see them, either destroy them yourself or report them to the appropriate authorities. If you see these in a nursery, please inform the owners that you WILL NOT PURCHASE their plants and other products until they stop promoting these noxious plants which are destroying our native ecosystems. Following is a list of some of the worst:
Australian Tree Fern: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/May/26/il/FP605260305.html
Velvet Tree / Miconia: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mica1.htm