Heteropogon contortus Indigenous Found on dry, rocky sites on all the main Hawaiian islands. The grass was used extensively for thatching houses, but also for stuffing mattresses and padding floors. Pili was used as tinder to start fires. Hawaiians favored the use of pili in a home due to its pleasant odor. Pili means to cling, […]
Jacquemontia sandwicensis Endemic Crawling vine and morning glory relative named after Hiʻiaka, baby sister of the volcano goddess, Pele. The plant shaded Hiʻiaka from the scorching sun on the beach where Pele left her while she went surfing. The name means “skirt of Hiʻiaka.” Another legend says that Pele sent Hiʻiaka on an epic journey to find […]
Vitex rotundifolia Native Indigenous Leaves are used in lei making and have a nice herbal fragrance that deters bugs. Leaves were also eaten as medicine for fever, stomach, and head pain (*this is not a medical guide. See a herbal medicine practitioner for guidance). Other names: Hinahina kolo, Kolokolo kahakai, Mānawanawa, Mānewanewa, Pōlinalina
Dianella sandwicensis Native Indigenous The long, smooth, slender leaves are tough and flexible and were traditionally used for making cordage. Hale Pili, the grass house at Bishop Museum is lashed with ʻukiʻuki cordage. The attractive berries appear on stalks and make dyes that vary from light blue to violet; the dyes are used to decorate […]
Erythrina sandwicensis Endemic Wiliwili is a little out of its habit here at MHC, as it grows wildly in mesic forests and along the coast. Mānoa’s wet weather is probably the reason this tree has not gone through its foliage cycle, dropping itsʻ leaves then blooming. When wiliwili near the coast was in bloom, it […]