The garden tour proceeds up the gently rising slope. First stop is the 'Ulu, known elsewhere as Breadfruit. Most of the information from these pages is from the Limahuli Garden's excellent web site at: http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/limahuli-virtualtour.php .See our web page for details on this plant.
The Jackfruit tree was introduced after the Europeans arrived. It contains the largest fruit in the world. The fruit can weigh as much as 70 pounds and be nearly a yard long. It is quite popular in places like India. The Limahuli Gardens tolerate 3 different types of plants: 1) Native Hawaiian (which they painfully preserve), 2) Those introduced by the Polynesians (about 27) by carrying cuttings on their canoes 1800 years ago (sometimes called "canoe plants,", and 3) those aggressively growing plants introduced by Westerners after Cook landed in the 1780s.
Here's another shot of the lava-stoned terraced gardens created 700 years ago. About half the water from the Limahuli stream was diverted through this terrace to irrigate the Kalo (Taro) which was used to make Poi.
Ki was another important (and sacred) plant brought by the immigrating Polynesians who became the Hawaiians. Its waxy surface repels water, making for rain wear and sandals as well as thatch roofing.
The next two pictures are of a sweet potato called 'uala. Polynesians brought this member of the morning-glory family in their canoes to plant on the dry side of the Islands where Taro (Kalo) was hard to grow.
'Uala was also used as fish bait and in some medicines. More details at: http://www.canoeplants.com/uala.html
Another "canoe plant" is Wauke used by Hawaiians for clothing and bedding. To do so, 10' stems were stripped of their bark in a single piece. Using a shell, Hawaiians would removed the outer brown layer of bark and then repeatedly soak, pound, and age the white fibers between banana leaves. With a little dye and perfume from plants, this became the finest cloth in Polynesia, called kapa (which means beaten thing) and is similar to muslin. If you're interested in Hawaiian cloth making, check out: http://www.canoeplants.com/wauke.html
To Americans, the best known "canoe plant" was the mai'a or banana. This is not really a tree, but rather a giant herb. Often it would be planted in the mountains so those journeying would have a carbohydrate source.
'Olena is another canoe plant. Polynesians used the roots of this ginger family member to cure ear-ache and congestion. It produces yellow dies to color cloth (kapa). In India the roots are ground into turmeric (which gives curry its orange color). Unfortunately, 'olena is rarely found in Hawaii in modern times.
Once Westerners arrived, ko (sugar cane) became THE crop, driving the economy of the Islands. (It also drove politics when the Hawaiian king negotiated favorable trading rights with the Americans. This tended to drive the country away from the British and towards the States.) Labor-intensive cane growing led to mass immigration of cheap Asian labor. (A side effect: Hawaiians then started importing rice which replaced taro as the carbohydrate staple of the Islands). When the Hawaiian royalty headed on a course that threatened the sugar planters, they overthrew the king.
Kō was brought by Polynesians who used it for food and medicine. They scattered the tassels on hillsides to create sled runs. It is water-intensive and changed fresh water management in the islands when it became the major export.
The niu palm is best known as the coconut. In times of drought, it provides pure drinking water. Its strong, elastic trunk can survive high winds. It thrives near the ocean in sandy soil and salt spray. Hawaiians would plant a niu at the birth of a child; by the time he was 7, the niu would produce up to 50 fruit per year and continue to do so for 70-100 years. A lifetime of nourishment and protection from drought. More at: http://www.canoeplants.com/niu.html .
The `Awapuhi gingers were used to flavor food and treat tooth decay and stomachaches.
The sap from the 'Awapuhi flower is a common ingredient in shampoos as it brings sheen to the hair.
The kukui or candlenut tree is a canoe plant and today the official state tree of Hawaii. (Do you know your state's official tree?) It's called candlenut because the inner kernels were dried and put into a coconut frond which was then set on fire. The oil within the kukui nuts would help this torch burn for about 45 minutes.
The kukui nuts appear among the silver-green leaves. Rats carry these nuts (up to 100 pounds per tree) into the forest after they fall to the base of the tree, spreading the kukui trees into the Hawaiian forests. Medicinally, Hawaiians used mash from kukui nuts to treat ulcers and mouth sores. The inner bark of the tree could be pounded into cloth (see Wauke above).
Another canoe plant is the 'awa, a member of the pepper family with heart-shaped leaves. It's also called kava kava. It provides an intoxicating drink as well as medicine for asthma, congestion, diabetes, and a slew of other diseases. (There may be no snakes in Hawaii but they get snake oil from somewhere.)
Here's another view of the 'awa plant. The roots are ground up and suspended in a tea and used as a relaxant and in religious ceremonies.
The Papala kēpau is a native Hawaiian plant (that means it was here before the Polynesians arrived 1800 years ago, probably brought by driftwood or trade winds). It is surrounded by new arrivals that can steal its sun, forcing it to put its energy into growing taller. Although they didn't bring it, the Hawaiians found the Papala useful as the kēpau is their word for a sticky substance it produces. When Hawaiians coated a stick with it, they could get birds to land on it -- and stick. They'd then steal a few feathers for their regalia. This particular species is found only on Kaua'i. (In fact, 90% of such native Hawaiian plants are found only in Hawaii, such was its isolation from the rest of the world.
This is the Java Plum (it actually produces plums but didn't for us here). It's essentially a weed that is taking over the place. The government deliberately planted it (sometimes by dropping seeds from planes) to re-vegetate areas decimated by cattle grazing. Such newcomers are a threat to the pre-Polynesian plants.
Here's a few shots of the Limahuli Stream which descends 3300' from mountaintop to sea and nourishes the steep valley with fresh water -- always in short supply in Hawaii. Here all 5 species of native Hawaiian freshwater fish swim, evolving from their salt water cousins. (The eggs still hatch in salt water and their progeny spend the first few months in the ocean.)
This is a pristine stream above its 800' waterfall -- mostly because its all-but-unaccessible except by helicopter. Because of this, it allows the University of Hawaii and the Garden to partner in research efforts designed to promote the restoration of such streams.
The waterfall separates the preserve into a mountainous rain forest and lowland agricultural area. Most of this spot is preserve -- nearly 1000 acres -- and off limits to visitors who are confined to the 17 acre garden that gently climbs from sea level.
This is the u'ulei plant, a Hawaiian Native but otherwise pretty well ignored in the Garden's documentation.
These next two pictures are of a tree so common throughout the world that botanists debated whether it was a native Hawaiian until they found several-million-year-old fossils nearby. Hawaiians call this Hala but most of us recognize it as the Screwpine, named after the spiraling clusters of slender leaves (which make good thatch as well as sails and baskets). The faux pineapple tell us we are looking at a female plant.
The hala or screwpine typically has these roots rising from the soil which help support it as it grows progressively more top heavy. Its leaves flavor some South Asian cuisines somewhat like our use of bay leaves. Male and female flowers appear on separate trees. The fruit on the female confuses tourists who think its pineapple and so natives nickname it the "tourist pineapple."
Here's another female of more recent introduction if not the flower of western civilization. (Did you laugh...
...if so, you're ready for the Haha plant, another leafy native that was thought to be extinct for over 80 years until it was discovered in one of East Maui's last remaining native forests. Haha almost joined the Hawaiian extinct species club which is not all that exclusive as Hawaii with only 0.2% of the US land leads all other states in extinct species.
One of the reasons the Haha is threatened is that, like many Hawaiian native species, it evolved in isolation with little competition. When the Polynesians (about 1800 years ago) introduced animals and foreign plants, they aggressively took over. European migration (about 200 years ago) exacerbated the situation with plants now considered to be weeds. The introduction of hungry ungulates didn't help either. In fact, once the Haha was rediscovered in Maui, goats nibbled at (and killed) the only adult seed-producing plant. Luckily a few seedlings sprouted at its base.
Before these invaders, Hawaiian plants to be successful had merely to create large leaves and produce colorful flowers to attract bees. (Ask mother if you are not familiar with this process.) What nearly happened to the Haha is no laughing matter. Want to read more about the haha? Try http://www.kipahulu.org/news_zentohawaii_fall2003.html
The next two slides show what's visible of the archaeological site. The garden is about plants, not archeology, so there's not much to see here other than a pile of rocks, in this case, thought to be the remnants of homes. Hawaiian culture evolved in isolation for at least 500 years; during that time it evolved into the most complex social and religious system in Polynesia -- until it all came crashing down after the appearance of Captain Cook in 1778. See our discussion on this at: http://www. dickschmitt.com/travels/Hawaii/Hawaiian-History/index.html
As their population grew, Hawaiians organized their political divisions around geography -- creating a pie-shaped piece of the island from mountain-top fanning out to the sea. Within this division -- called ahupua'a after the altar where commoners would bring food and goods to pay their taxes -- trading (fish, carbohydrate plants, clothes) flourished. Fresh water, typically a mountain stream such as the Limahuli Stream near here, united all.
Unlike the Awa brought by the Polynesians, the Ho 'awa is a Hawaiian native.
Here's a lulu of a plant, the Loulu, a palm discovered here and so named "Pritchardia limahuliensis." (The Pritcharia are the only genus of palms native to Hawaii with about 25 species uniqe to the Islands.) Note the fan-shaped leaves.
The 'Oha is another endangered species (about 60-70 plants left!) Mammals like goats and rats give it a hard time as does competition from weeds.
More details at http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/cwcs/files/Flora%20fact%20sheets/Del_sub%20plant%20NTBG_W.pdf
Let's get away from the plants a minute to look at the mountains surrounding them. This is the Makana Mountain but movie buffs call it Bali Hai (South Pacific). The Hawaiian name means "gift."
Makana Mountain was one of only two places in Hawaii where the 'oahi ceremony created fireworks. Skilled climbers would scale Makana during the day and collect wood from the hau tree. When they threw lighted logs from the mountain at night, updrafts from the tradewinds would keep these aloft as they slowly made their way to the ocean.
This hala is common to the north Kauai coast.
In some parts of the world, the leaves of the autograph tree are decorated and used for playing cards. This plant was introduced to Hawaii in modern times -- the birds spread it. Once mother finishes your discussion of the bees, ask her about this.
The autograph tree grows like a weed in the lush Hawaiian climate and its aerial roots frequently strangle its neighbors.
The kopiko is another native Hawaiian plant with dark green leaves that remind Houstonians of their ubiquitous magnolia trees. The kopiko's are egg-shaped and leathery.
While the kopiko can grow as much as 20' high and its wood is hard, the wood warps easily and isn't of much use in carpentry.
Hawaiians call their guava trees "Kuawa." This is another modern introduction from the early 1800s where it was introduced from the Americas.
Kuawa or guava plants have been spread throughout the islands by grazing and foraging animals because the guava's seeds are too hard to be destroyed by the animals' digestion. The fruit is carefully monitored in Hawaii to keep from spreading the Island's fruit fly problem into the continental US.
The koa is a very old Hawaiian native with 3 species endemic. They can grow up to 100' if the volcanoes don't have other ideas. In the Island's wet forests, koa dominates. Nearly 50 endemic species of insects live for some or all of their lives on koa trees. The leaves are really stems called phyllodes.
Koa is a favorite of Hawaiian builders as the wood is very strong and is nicknamed "Hawaiian Mahogany." Its trunks make excellent canoes, surfboards, and furniture. When polished, it has a red color with wavy lines. Unfortunately, koa trees are disappearing from the mountainsides where they once dominated the 1500' to 4000' levels.
Here's some gratuitous scenery shots...
...including some for the relatives in front of Makana Mountain where the fireworks display would take place.
And this one of the old man and the mountain.
And another seascape
Here's another native, the ho 'awa.
The next three shots are of the munroidendron tree, and extremely endangered species which is found naturally in only 4 Kauai locations.
The munroidendron thrives in cultivation but is challenged in the wild by grazing animals and weeds.
The munroidendron grows to 25' tall.
Some of the munroidrendrons here are cultivated into various shapes.
The holei is another endemic Kauain bush without much documentation.
Here's a full-plant shot of the holei.
The papala was the tree that the Hawaiians would use for fireworks.
After scaling Makana Mountain they would gather papala sticks which were light and burnt easily. Dried logs are hollow, giving them more surface area to burn and making them light enough to float on the strong trade winds that thrust upwards on Kauai's steep ocean cliffs.
After dark, they would light them and disburse them at mountain top into the trade winds which were creating an updraft on the mountain. The burning papala would then float as much as mile out to sea, staying lit the whole time. Catching a burning log would prove your affection for the one you loved. Giving flowers is safer (if you remember to do it.)
The alula is another Hawaiian endemic endangered species. Garden staff have rappelled down cliffs to pollinate this plant and collect its seeds. A National Geographic special, "Strangers in Paradise" paid tribute to them. Today there are more of these plants within the Garden than in the wild.
The alula grows on steep sea cliffs on several of the Islands. Some have noticed that the alula resembles a cabbage on a baseball bat.
The iliau shrub is thought to be descended from the North American tarweed.
The iliau resembles a sunflower when it blooms (which it wasn't bothering to do while we were there in early August). When it blooms it shoots up a stalk 4' high with hundres of diasy-like flowers spinning around...then it dies.
The iliau can grow to 8' tall and looks like an offspring of a daisy and a palm on a bad hair day.
The koki'o ke'oke'o was originally discovered in 1913 but then thought to be extinct until it was found growing in the back of this preserve with some trees 30' tall. Hawaiians call the several native species of Hibiscus "Koki`o." The white leaves surrounding the red stamen is typical.
Koki'o ke'oke'o is a hibiscus that blooms here all year long in its native Kauai. Of the 5 endemic Hawaiian hibiscus species, this is the most fragrant.
Kauai is about 6 million years old, a kid in geologic time, but still long enough for the Limahuli Stream to erode the lava into steep valley walls such as this we see rising from the path leading back to the visitor center.
The little "man" standing on top of the mountain at about 11 o'clock position is called "pohaku-o-kane." Literally this means the rock of Kane. Kane was a Hawaiian god who took mercy on this rock which was trying to climb the mountain but kept falling back. Kane placed him here as a watchman. As long as the stone is here, all is well.
Here's a panorama stitched together from several pictures of the valley wall taken from the Limahuli Garden. Many of these stones have Hawaiian legends associated with their origin.
