Mala-O-Ao, Native Hawaiian Plants

We’d love to hear about your garden, please contact us:

Kandice & Rodney Crusat

P.O. Box 6932

Ocean View HI 96737

(808) 929 8198

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Mamaki - (E) The fruit of this shrub was occasionally used in Hawaiian medicine, but mostly the strong fibrous inner bark was used to make kapa cloth. It is the prime host for the Kamehameha Butterfly, one of the only two known native butterflies. Today the dried leaves are made into a tea which has been found to lower blood pressure. This medicinal herb is related to the Nettle family, and a prime example of how many Hawaiian species lost their defenses, as without predators this one lost it’s prickles.

Blackburn Butterfly - (E) The caterpillars of these small butterflies live mostly on A`ali`i plants and Koa trees. The underside of the wing of the Blackburn is green while the top of the wing is blue.

Damselfly - (I) - One of the many Hawaiian species on the brink of extinction. It feeds on other flying insects such as gnats and midges.

Apapane - (E) - Female

Amakihi - (E)

Lava Tree Casting - These rock molds are all that left of great Ohia or Koa trees after a lava flow covers the forest. The large trees are able to withstand the intense heat long enough for the lava to cool. Eventually the tree burns through and leaves behind its form where the lava surrounded it. Beside some of the lava trees there are remains of the burned tree after it fell to the ground and the lava had cooled enough so it didn’t burn through. If you look inside some of the caverns, there might be a yellowish coloring on the lava. That is Sulphur which escapes from deep below the earth’s surface.

Uki Uki Grass - (E) This perennial herb is also a member of the lily family. The ripe fruits are blue and the juice was used for kappa cloth dye. The leaves were used for house thatching.

Puukaa Grass - (I) This once common grass has become endangered sue to over grazing by feral animals. It was used by the early Hawaiians for thatching the inner walls of their grass houses.

Painiu Grass - (E) A perennial herb from the lilly family. The orange fruits were used in lei making and the leaves for house thatching.

Kilau Pueo - (E) A species of Braken fern which is eaten around the world.

Kupukupu - (E) This is a member of the sword fern family.

Ae - (E) This uncommon fern is one of the first plants to grow on new lava. It has a thick hairy root which can travel underneath the surface of the lava.

Kalamoho - (I) This dainty fern means to loosen or unfold. It’s not common and usually grows by itself from a crack in a rock.

Ekaha Akolea - (I) The ancient Hawaiians had many names for this rare fern:
Ekaha Akolea - Which means single leaf fern.
Puaakuhinia - A pig saturated with rich food.
Pakaha - Having a stripe.

Palai Hihi - (E) This rare fern only grows in a dark shady places or small caves.

Amau - (E) Thick fronds uncurl from the trunk of this dwarf fern tree and are covered with silky material called “palu.” The ancient Hawaiians used it for stuffing mattresses and pillows. A green paste was made from the stems and used as a glue for kapa cloth. The tasteless young shoots served as food in times of famine. Amau was associated with Kamapuaa, the pig god, who could take the form of the fern at will.

Ferns.

Kolea - (E) The wood of this small tree was used for canoe and house construction as well as kapa cloth beaters. Red dye was made from the wood sap and black dye from the charcoal.

A`ali`i - (I) This was a sacred plant of the hula goddesses Lako and Kapo. The flowers and seeds were used for lei and making dye for kapa cloth. The wood was used for house construction and weapons. The leaves were crushed and applied to skin rashes.

Pilo - (E) This plant is related to the coffee family. There are 6 different types of Pilo on the Big Island. And the Big Island is the only place in Hawaii where it is found growing in the wild. The plants are male and female, so the small berries resembling coffee beans are found only on the female plant. The plant has an unpleasant smell when crushed which is probably why there is no evidence that the ancient Hawaiians used it. The berries are a favorite food of the Hawaiian Nene Goose.

Limu - (I) These wind blown lichens are the first form of life to grow on new lava and help to create soil. Some parts of the world know this as Reindeer Moss.

Moa - (I) Right - A primitive plant believed to have thrived since 350 million years ago. The ancient Hawaiians boiled it and used it as a laxative tea. The powdery spores were used by the men for skin irritations caused by their malo (loincloth).

Akala Berry - (E) The Hawaiian raspberry had many uses by the ancient people. Ashes from the burnt wood was used for scalp conditions, heartburn, nausea, and as a laxative. Dye was made from the dark ripe fruit and a pink dye made from the delicate pink flowers. When the fruit is ripe it’s a dark purple. It’s bland tasting and has many seeds.

Vines

Kukaenene - (E) In Hawaiian this name means goose droppings, as the dark berries resemble that of the Nene Goose. The inner bark made a yellow dye for kappa cloth and the purple berries made a purple or black dye. The fruit was also used for lei making and is also a favorite food of the Nene.

Ground Cover

“Aloha I Ka Aina A Me Na Mea Ulu”

Love Our Land And Living Things

Pukiawe - (I) The berries of this plant were used for lei and the leaves were used in medicines. The wood was used specifically to cremate outlaws.

Birds and Other Critters of

Mala O Ao

Lichen - (I) Another type of Lichen which attaches itself to rocks.

Grasses

Trees

Ohia Lehua - (E) We have found a few color variations of the Lehua flowers. These trees were sacred to the ancient Native Hawaiians and are the first trees to grow on new lava. The nectar in the flowers is food for the native forest birds. The wood was used in canoe making, house construction, bowls and temple carvings. Tea was made from the young leaves as a tonic and the tea from flowers to aid in childbirth. According to legend, if you pick the flowers on your journey up the mountain, it will cloud over and you will be enveloped in a mist or rain, but it was permissible to pick on the way down. It was also said that the Ohia had a human voice and would groan when cut.

Koa - (E) This famous native tree grows to heights of 100 feet and is prized for it’s beautiful red grained wood. Early Hawaiians used it primarily for dugout canoes surfboards and calabashes. Today it is becoming endangered due to over harvesting.

Iliahi - Sandalwood - (E) We have found 2 sandalwood trees here and they are a bit different. An enormous amount of sandalwood was the first major export of Hawaii. It was sent to China to be used for incense and furniture. Extensive groves of it had once been common, but today they are threatened. The wood remains one of the worlds most valuable products.

Alani Mokihana - (E) This small tree is of the Melicope genus in the citrus family. It is the flower which represents the Island of Kauai where they string the anise scented flowers, fruits and twigs into lei. The ancients used the wood for Kapa cloth beaters and canoe parts. The fragrant leaves were used to scent the kapa cloth.

Naio - (I) The wood from the Naio tree was used by the early Hawaiians to make house posts. When dried it has the scent of Sandalwood. At times it was sold in place of Sandalwood, but was refused when discovered that it was not.

Ohelo Berry - (E) These berries can be eaten raw or cooked. Today they are most frequently used for making jam. The ancients considered the Ohelo berries sacred to the goddess Pele and they offered branches to her by throwing them into the fiery pit at Kilauea Volcano. Only after this ceremony could they eat the berries themselves. The fruit is ripe when the berries are a dark red. The dried leaves are used for tea.

Small Trees
& Bushes