native Species
These are some of the native plants we grow and maintain on the One Ali’i fishpond. Beyond the ones illustrated, we also have hala, papaya, and loulu.
Known as the “tree of life,” the niu provides us with one of the main needs for life, the coconut water; the most sterile water there is. The young nut is ideal for drinking water, and the mature nut can be carved and used to make coconut milk. The milk is a good source of iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins. Coconut water is an alkali producer in the digestive system and helps with balancing pH in the human body.
Coconut leaves are used for basket weaving and roof thatching. The sugar sap can be extracted for an alcoholic drink.
The coconut was chewed after ingesting non-flavorful medicines. Fishermen also chewed the coconut meat and spat it into the water as a way of chumming and creating a glossy-like ocean surface to see the fish more clearly.
Overall, the coconut tree offers the possibility of housing, hats, furniture, mats, clothing, brooms, clothing, musical instruments, shampoo, containers, and even oil for fuel, light, ointments, and soap. The coconut tree has many uses, living up to its nickname as the tree of life.
The kukui tree is a native of Polynesia but can also be found in other tropical and subtropical parts of the world. It grows most abundantly in the lower mountain zones on all major Hawaiian Islands. The light-colored, grayish leaves make the kukui trees stand out as light patches of foliage when one looks into the valleys and mountains at the distance. Some leaves are angularly ovate, coming to a point at the tip, while others have lobes a little like those of a maple leaf. Small white flowers bloom in large clusters and are followed by the nuts, each covered in a fleshy green body.
Taking a young green nut from the tree and giving a proper blessing to the kukui nut can help ease pain, the sap from the nut can also help heal a sore area faster. The nut can also be used as a poultice for headaches.
The nuts are used as a seasoning called inamona, prepared by baking and grinding them.
The kukui nut can be used as a candle by lighting it.
Uala (sweet potato) is a major starch staple in dryland areas. Leaves of uala can be steamed, boiled, or baked as well as the uala itself. At Ka Honua Momona, we planted uala and just recently harvested a garden bed of uala in July 2021.
Uala was used as a tonic during pregnancy and to include lactation. It can also be used as a laxative and gargle for sore throats. Raw uala mixed with ti stem and coconut water is used to induce vomiting.
The banana plant is the largest herbaceous flowering plant. The plant grows from a structure caled a “corm,” and is often mistaken for trees. What appears to be a trunk is actually a pseudostem; bananas grow in a wide variety of soils, as long as the soil is at least 60cm deep and has good drainage. Upon maturing, the banana plant’s corm stops producing new leaves and begins to form a flower spike, known as an inflorescence. Banana fruits grow from the inflorescence in hanging clusters called a bunch. Individual banana fruits average 125 grams, of which approximately 75% is water and 25% is dry matter.
Often used for makahiki games as target for spear throwing, bananas can also be used for decorations, clothing, or clothing for cultural dances such as hula. Stomps and leaves are used when building an imu (underground oven).
Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B and contain moderate amounts of vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber.
Despite the name, the screwpine is in fact not a pine. The usual name of the tree derives from the whorling “screw” pattern of the tree’s bark. It is referred to as a pine because of the pineapple-looking fruit that grows at the ends of its branches. The screwpine fruit and seeds can be consumed. The screwpine thrives best in coastal tropical environments with ample exposure to sunlight. In ideal conditions, the trees can grow up to 30 feet. Ancient hawaiians wove screwpine leaves into mats, pillows, and cordage fiber.
The screwpine fruit is the key component of treatments for oral thrush and sore throat. The fruit has also been used to treat chest and child birthing pain.
The sea hibiscus is a hardy tree in the evergreen family, able to grow in a variety of different soil pHs and moisture levels. Despite this range, it is most often found in coastal tropical environments. The hibiscus is easily recognized by the pale yellow flowers that dot its branches. Hibiscus trees can grow to be over 30 feet tall, but tend to be much shorter (10 ft). Early Hawaiians found many uses for the sea hibiscus tree. Perhaps the most useful part of the tree was the wood. The wood of the tree was used for cordage, fishing nets, and firestarting. The fibers of the sea hibiscus were also used to sow kapa sheets together and tie sandals.
The flower buds and sap can be made into a laxative. The sap can also be used as a treatment for chest congestion.
Breadfruit trees are among the tallest trees at KHM being capable of growing over 60 feet tall with and having a trunk diameter up to 2 ft. The wood of the breadfruit can be used to make “surfboards, poi pounding boards and dance drums (pahu hula).” Ancient Hawaiians used the tree sap for glue, chewing gum, and a topical antiseptic. The rough leaves of the tree were also used as an early form of of sandpaper.
Young breadfruit were commonly used issues of mouth and throat. The mature breadfruit were made into teas for the treatment of digestive issues and joint discomfort.
Milo begins as a shrub than can grow into a tree greater than 30ft. It can frequently be found growing in coastal regions and is known to thrive in both rocky and salty soil. The tree is easily identified by its yellow and maroon conical flowers, and its spherical fruit that changes from green to brown over the course of maturation. The fruit of the Milo tree floats, a detail believed to play a key role in the dispersal of its seeds. Milo wood was used by Polynesian civilizations as a source of wood used in the construction houses, canoes, and bowls. The tough fruit could be ground into a yellow-green dye.
Sea purslane is a common sight among marshy beaches around the world. The plant can be recognized by its short fleshy leaves and the patches that it grows in, never exceeding a few inches in height. Sea purslane is an edible member of the succulent family. Due to their close proximity to shorelines, the leaves have a salty, pickle-like taste. When prepared, its common to boil the leaves to reduce the salt content. Purslane is easy to grow and hard to get rid of.
‘Akulikuli can be consumed for energy and preventing infections.
invasive species
An invasive species is an organism that is introduced to a new environment and negatively alters the new environment to which it’s been introduced to. At the One Ali’i and Koloko’eli fishponds, mangrove and gorilla ogo are two notable invasive species that Ka Honua Momona has been working on removing.
Cowboys brought mangrove to the island of Molokai believing it would help reduce soil erosion. However, mangrove has been overrunning fishponds. Mangrove thrives in the brackish water, which fishponds consist of. The mangrove tree tends to hold onto soil and silt; larger quantities of mangrove depreciate nutrients from fishponds.
Gorilla ogo is a fast-growing brittle limu (seaweed) native to the Pacific Ocean. It was introduced for aquaculture to O’ahu in 1974 to provide Agar, a jelly-like substance. Gorilla ogo flourished and took over reefs, forming thick mats that, in large quantities, kill coral and other native limu.
Gorilla ogo is simple to scoop out of the water, and can be used as an addition to poke or seaweed salads. The limu also acts as a fertilizer in gardens when dried out.
The monkey pod tree is a tall, wide-canopied tree that can grow up to 80 feet tall. It easily recongized by the dome shaped canopy that can be as wide as the tree is tall. This canopy makes an monkey pod tree a good place to seek shade. Monkey pod wood is used around the world for furniture and woodworking due to its lightweight durability and resistance to decay.
Monkey pod is an invasive species not used in traditional Hawaiian medicine. However, other Pacific civilizations used inner bark and leaves to treat stomach and intestinal problems.