Paradisus Terrestris Hawaiian Plants
Go to the Herb Room for Hawaiian teas.
Aleurites molucanna, Kukui nut tree
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
polynesian introduction
The Kukui nut tree is the state tree of Hawaii. Kukui was brought to Hawaii by early polynesian settlers. It has many ethnobotanical uses. The fruit commonly called "nut" is edible when roasted and is still used to make a relish called 'inamona. The relish is a mixture of the nut, salt and seaweed. The dried nuts can be burned and are used as torches and lights. The hard shells are polished and used leis and jewelry. The soft wood was used in making canoes and fishnet floats. Dyes were made from roots and bark, as well as with ash from the shell. Raw kernels are used medicinally as a laxative and a purgative. The gum and resin are used as glue and as medicine for external sores. Fresh leaves are also used as a poultice for swelling, deep bruises or other local injuries helped by local heating and sweating. Charcoal from the shell was used for sore throat. Also, Kukui leaves and stems make excellent mulch.
Kukui has silvery, green foliage, large three to five lobed leaves. Small, creamy white or pink flowers are found in clusters. Kukui fruits are large, irregularly rounded, about 2 inches wide, with an outer green fleshy covering over an inner stony fruit wall, which encloses one or two seeds. It is a fast growing tree, beautiful for landscaping.
Argyreia nervosa, Hawaiian baby woodrose, seed packet (10 seeds) $3.00
Convolvulaceae (Morning Glory family)
Beautiful woody, flowering vine that grows well in full sun on a trellis. The leaves are large, downy and have velvety white hairs. The flowers are purple on the inside fading lighter at the ends. The seed pods dry into woody "roses" which hold one to four seeds.
Coffea kona, Kona coffee $11.00
Rubiaceae (Madder family)
Coffee from Hawaii. This small tree has dark green, glossy leaves. It produces clusters of white, fragrant flowers, followed by bright red beans. Good potted plant. A very attractive plant that can produce over a pound of coffee a year.
Colocasia esculenta, Kalo, Taro $10.00 (2 huli)
Araceae
Polynesian introduction
The most important plant in Hawaiian culture is Taro. Taro is a very useful and beautiful plant. This staple food plant of the temperate zone was known in China and in Egypt in the first century. It made it's way to Hawaii through Southeast Asia, New Guiena, and the South Pacific islands as a canoe plant by the polynesians. The Hawaiians cultivated over 300 named varities. They have rich variations in stalk colors and leaf petiole colors. Some of the most striking varieties such as kumu, maea, and elepaio add grace to a garden. Leaf tops sway in the breeze and make the plant look like it is dancing a hula. The Kumu has red stalks and was used as an offering to the Gods. Maea has dark burgundy stalks and burgundy veins, and the elepaio has green stalks and green leaves, with white speckling on the leaves. One of the most favored varieties for poi is lehua. It has green leaves, the stalks are green and light pink. Most of the varieties are good table taro, just steamed and covered with butter. The leaves are delicious steamed.
Taro favors moist, shady areas and will grow for six to twelve months, it's leaves enlarging over that time. Then the leaves begin to shrink and the corm swells . After this happens the plants can be harvested. They can also be left in the ground for up to two years before harvesting. Taro is traditionally planted in mounds of dirt. They can also be put in low wet spots and covered with dirt. As a water feature they look lovely and are simple to take care of. They like boggy areas (loi) with up to a foot of water and mud. Taro does not usually produce fertile seed but makes many keiki (offshoots), and the tops of the plant are cut off from the corm and are replanted. Taro can be grown anywhere from sea level to 3500'.
Alocasia, Elephant Taro $10.00
Araceae
Southeast Asia introduction
This is a beautiful landscaping plant or indoor plant for a tropical look. This non-edible taro grows to 3 feet and has large leaves that can grow 3 feet wide. It is a favorite in Hawaii. It is hardy, does not die back, and loves shade and water. Very nice.
Cordyline fruticosa, Ki, Ti (traditional green) $9.00
Liliaceae
Polynesian introduction
Ki (Ti) is an important plant with numerous uses in Hawaiian culture. It is a woody plant, usually with a single stem and lots of large, glossy leaves at the top of the stem. The roots can be cooked and eaten but it is used more often in food preparation and wrapping. Fish, pork and vegetables are wrapped and cooked in Ki leaves. The traditional Laulau is wrapped in Ki leaves. The leaves are used to wrap warm stones as hot packs and poultices. The leaves are also used for house thatching and for making sandals. It is associated with the Hula goddess, Laka and hula skirts are made with Ki leaves. In former times, Priests wore leaves around the neck as an indication of high rank or divine power. It is often planted around houses as a charm against evil spirits.
Curcuma longa, 'Olena, Turmeric $7.00
Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)
Indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands
Curcuma longa, commonly called tumeric, 'Olena in Hawaiian culture, is a medicinal plant that has been used by many cultures throughout the world, but has only in the last two decades been studied pharmacologically and substantiated by scientific reasearch. This perennial herb is proving to be an important medicine.
'Olena is one of the canoe plants brought by the polynesians when they discovered the Hawaiian islands. According to Abbott, 1992, and Krohn-Ching, 1980, 'Olena mixed with sea water was used to purify objects, people, and places. The wonderful, bright orange rhizomes make a golden yellow dye which was used by Hawaiians to color kapa cloth. The special medicinal uses in Hawaiian culture indicate that the astringent and antibacterial properties of the plant were utilized. The rhizome was crushed and the juice was mixed with water and used as a treatment for ear infections. The same remedy was used for cleaning the nasal passages. The anti-inflammatory action of the plant has been confirmed in recent studies.
Tumeric is native to India and southern Asia and has long been used as a spice in cooking; for coloring food (curry dishes), flavoring, and as a preservative. It's historical uses as a medicine are numerous. As an anti-inflammatory it has been useful for arthritis, allergies, asthma, and eczema. It can be used for external skin conditions such as psoriasis and fungal infections. It has also been used for treating indegestion, gallbladder or liver disease, obesity, and as a cancer preventative. As a digestive, it increases mucus production in the stomach. It is a good natural medicine for nausea and motion sickness.
The key constituents of Tumeric are Curcumin (95%), volatile oils (3-5%) zingiberen, turmerone, and p-tolymethylcarbinol. Pharmacological studies and clinical trials show that tumeric lowers cholesterol and is a very strong antioxidant. Research has also shown that it has an anti-coagulant action, thinning the blood. It also increases bile production.
GCI's research states that, "Many studies on Tumeric have revealed that the herb contains cholagogue-type substances which increase the secretion of bile. Principle among these substances is curcumin. Curcumin also possesses liver protective activity, detoxifying dangerous carcinogens, stimulating the gall bladder, and acting as a free-radical scavenger. Curcumin has cholekinetic activity (bile duct stimulation). It has been suggested that Tumeric lowers blood cholesterol through these various choleretic effects. Tumeric's effects on weight loss may be mediated through curcumin's catabolic and metabolic activities on fats. Studies have also revealed that curcumin has anti-inflamatory properties, inhibiting platelet aggregation and cyclooxgenase and lipoxygenase enzymes which catalyze the formation of inflammatory prostaglandins and molecules. Curcumin requires the presence of the adrenal glands to have this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory activity." There is no known toxicity for tumeric. It is considered to be very safe.
Propagation of this medicinal herb is quite easy. Cuttings from the rhizome can be planted in well-drained soil. It likes a humid environment with filtered sun to shady conditions. It grows to be about 2-3 feet tall. The leaves grow directly from the rhizome, as does the pink flower which comes up in spring. The leaves die back in the fall and the plant can be harvested in the winter. It is best to use the fresh root in cooking, but the dried root can be used for poultices and for internal tinctures, mixed with water. The benefits of curcumin should not be undervalued. It's safety and easy use make it a must for every kitchen.
Fagraea berteriana, Pua keni keni $10.00
Loganiaceae
Indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands
Pua keni keni is a lovely, fragrant Hawaiian plant. A small tree, to 20 feet, it has glossy leaves and produces many scented flowers which change color, white, yellow, orange. It is used in lei making. Can be grown in a pot in full sun to partial shade.
Hibiscus arnottianus $7.30
Malvaceae (Mallow family)
Hawaiian endemic
This very special native Hawaiian hibiscus only found on O'ahu and Moloka'i has large white blossoms with a red stamen and has a mild fragrance. Hibiscus flowers grew wild in the forests at altitudes of 1,000 to 3,000 feet. They were grown around houses for their flowers which are beautiful, and also used as a gentle laxative for infants.
Ipomoea batatas, Sweet potato, 'uala $7.00
Convolvulaceae
Polynesian Introduction
'Uala, sweet potatoes, are the second most important food plant in Hawaiian culture. There are several reasons that 'uala is such an important starch throughout the Pacific Islands. The plant grows easily by cuttings and it is believed that Hawaiians brought it as a canoe plant by wrapping cuttings in moist ti leaves. The tubers can be stored for months and could have survived long voyages as well. Early Hawaiian named at least two hundred varieties and cultivated them for the imu (underground oven), cooked potato, or poi 'uala. The cooked potato was also used as bait for fishing. The greens were eaten and the plant was used as pig food. The tuber flesh of the various varieties have several colors. They are purple flesh, red, pink, light cream, yellow, and even white.
'Uala requires little care and can be grown in marginal places. In places of low rainfall it was traditionally planted after soaking rains. Then it can survive full sun and lighter rains. The cuttings were planted in mounds where weeds were mulched to create good soil. The tubers mature in four to eight months.
Sweet potatoes make a good ground cover, they can cover an area very quickly. But if a person wants to grow them for the tubers then they can build mounds to grow them on. They can also be planted inside wooden box borders filled with dirt. This way the tubers can get fat and the vines can be contained. No one can go wrong with a plant this easy.
Microlepia strigosa, Palapalai fern $7.30
Georgous Indigenous Hawaiian forest fern, with lacy, graceful leaves and a soft scent. This fern was used for adornment and for hula altars. It is a lovely potted indoor plant that likes filtered sunlight and full watering two days a week.
Piper methysticum, Awa, Kava
Piperaceae (Pepper family)
Kava is known from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, Hawaii, and other islands in the South Pacific. It has been used as a ritual drink, medicine, and social beverage for thousands of years. Captain Cook, on his first voyage (1768-1771) was the first white man to observe Kava ceremonies in Hawaii. Louis Lewin (1886) was the first psychopharmacologist to write a monograph on Kava, and study its effects on humans.
In Phantastica, page 218, Lewin wrote, "Kava was intimately interwoven with the social, religious and political life of the South Sea Islanders. It accompanied them on all their peaceful and warlike enterprises, whether in common or individual, and played a prominent part in all the joyous or sad events of life. It is therefore not surprising that the first explorers of those islands spoke in detail of the plant and its use. Moreover the sorcerers and medicine-men among the natives highly valued kava because it acts very rapidly after ingestion not only as a euphoric but also as an anodyne."
A mild sophorific drink is made from the roots and sometimes the leaves of the plant. Hawaiians highly value this plant and recognised about eighteen varieties. Awa was regularly used in Hawaiian religious ceremonies. The drink was an offering to the gods, and priests often drank Awa. It was offered in rituals, chanting, and healing. It had many medicinal medicinal uses including general weakness, chills, sleeping problems, to prevent risk of infection, gastro-intestinal problems, to treat asthma and respiratory problems, pulmonary pains, tuberculosis, leprosy, skin diseases, women's problems, to calm nervous children.
The drink is used today for relaxation, to ease pain, produce sleep, as a medicine for asthma, urinary problems, rheumatism and the leaf is used as a poultice for headache. It is a mild, natural medicine and can be used daily with no harmful effects.
Awa has heart shaped leaves and noded joints which vary in size and color. There are many varieites with distinguishing characteristics. It has a striking appearance and occurs in moist lower forests and along streams throughout Oceania.
Pipturus albidus, Mamaki (tea available)
Urticaceae (Nettle family)
Hawaiian Endemic
Mamaki was valued by early Hawaiians for it's "long, strong fibers of inner bark in the making of Kapa." In the University of Hawaii's Rodman collection, more than one third of the 135 Kapa specimens seems to be made of Mamaki. Finished Mamaki Kapa is brown and can be oiled with oil expressed from Kukui kernels. It was also used for cordage. An infusion made from the leaves of Mamaki is used to treat general run-down conditions and is sold today in Hawaii as a refreshing tea. Mamaki is associated with Hawaiian love potions and chants.
Mamaki is the host plant for both the endemic Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameamea) and the endemic Blackburn butterfly (Udara blackburni). It grows as an understory forest tree. It's leaves have a silvery lower surface and reddish veins. Leaves are ovate, ranging from 2 to 16 inches long. Tiny seedlike fruits develop embedded in fleshy white masses close to stem branches.
Zingiber zerumbet, 'Awapuhi, Shampoo Ginger $7.00
Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)
Polynesian introduction
'Awapuhi is a small ginger which was used in former times as a drink to quench thirst and as a natural soap. The red flowers can be squeezed for the juice. The rhizomes are mashed with salt and used to treat headaches.
Awapuhi lives in wet or dry, shady areas. Like all gingers, it sends new shoots in spring and the leaves fall off in fall.
References
Ho-Ti Nursery
Pob 847
Kailua-Kona, HI 96745
Contact us for other propagation projects.
email:jillw@ho-tinursery.com
Links!
TREE Hawaii, Tropical Reforestation & Ecosystems Education Center
Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden
The Nature Conservancy
Nation of Hawaii
Bishop Museum-Natural Sciences Department
Museum of Science & Industry
Missouri Botanical Garden
National Plants Database
Directory for Botany