Milo. Thespesia populnea. Portia tree. Malvaceae/Mallow family. Indigenous or Polynesian introduction. Valued for its wood, used for calabashes. The only large canoe hull not made of koa in the Bishop Museum was constructed from milo wood.

`Ohi`a lehua. Metrosideros polymorpha. Myrtaceae/Myrtle family. Endemic. Wood used for sacred images by the ancient Hawaiians. Flowers very popular for lei; it is the lei flower for the island of Hawai`i.

`Ilima. Sida fallax. Black coral ilima. Malvaceae/Mallow family. Indigenous. About a thousand flowers used in making a lei; this is the lei flower for the island of O`ahu. Also used medicinally.

Koki`o ke`oke`o. Hibiscus arnottianus. Native white hibiscus. Malvaceae/Mallow family. Endemic. This species contains different subspecies. Slightly fragrant.

Noni. Morinda citrifolia. Indian mulberry. Rubiaceae/Coffee family. Polynesian introduction. A source of kapa dyes; leaves and fruits used medicinally; a famine food.

Ala`ala wai nui. Peperomia sp. Peperomia. Piperaceae/Pepper family. Endemic. Sometimes used for “female complaints” in the old days.

`Akiohala. Hibiscus furcellatus. Pink swamp hibiscus. Malvaceae/Mallow family. Indigenous. Occurs mainly in wet, disturbed areas.

Ma`o hau hele. Hibiscus brackenridgei. Native yellow hibiscus. Malvaceae/Mallow family. The Hawai`i state flower; endangered.

Koki`o `ula. Hibiscus kokio. Native red hibiscus. Malvaceae/Mallow family. Endemic. Some varieties have been used in breeding cultivated hibiscus hybrids.

Ki. Cordyline fruticosa. Green ti. Agavaceae/Agave family. Polynesian introduction. Leaves used for thatch, food wrappings, hula skirts, sandals; roots baked for food, or used to brew a beer that could be distilled to make okolehau.

Ma`o. Gossypium tomentosum. Hawaiian cotton. Malvaceae/Mallow family. Endemic. An attractive plant with grayish-green leaves and yellow flowers; excellent for xeriscaping.

Ko. Saccharum officinarum. Sugarcane. Poaceae-Gramineae/Grass family. Polynesian introduction. At least 40 named varieties known to the ancient Hawaiians. Source of sugar, fiber, thatching. At one time the commercial sugarcane industry was the largest industry in the islands.

Alahe`e. Canthium odoratum. Rubiaceae/Coffee family. Indigenous. Wood used for o`o sticks and adze blades in the old days; flowers small, white, fragrant.

Maunaloa. Canavalia cathartica. Fabaceae-Leguminosae/Pea family. Recent introduction. A vine with attractive flowers favored for lei. It is against Department of Agriculture rules to take maunaloa to the Mainland for fear that it will become a pest plant like kudzu or Japanese honeysuckle.

`Uala. Ipomoea batatas. Sweet potato. Convolvulaceae/Morning glory family. Polynesian introduction. A ground-hugging vine, `uala was a main staple in the traditional Hawaiian diet, particularly in drier, leeward areas. Early Hawaiians recognized approximately 230 different types; all but about 24 have been lost.

Koai`e, koai`a. Acacia koaia. Fabaceae-Leguminosae/Pea family. Endemic. Smaller than koa, and with wood that is much harder, some workers treat koai`e separately from koa. Wood of koai`e was used in the old days for tools and house frames.

Koa. Acacia koa. Koa. Fabaceae-Leguminosae/Pea family. Endemic. The tree can grow to 35 m tall. Very famous as a source of wood for large canoe hulls. Also used for calabashes.

Ulu. Artocarpus altilis. Breadfruit. Moraceae/Mulberry family. Polynesian introduction. A plant that grows into a large, handsome tree. Beautiful leaves are classic in Hawaiian quilting. The plant bears male and female inflorescences. The fruit is a multiple fruit, edible and starchy.

Noni. Morinda citrifolia. Indian mulberry. Rubiaceae/Coffee family. Polynesian introduction. This particular plant is variegated, with unpigmented patches lacking chlorophyll in the leaves.

Naio. Myoporum sandwicense. False sandalwood. Myoporaceae/Myoporum family. Indigenous. An ecologically variable plant, growing from coastal areas through to sub-alpine regions. Produces wood that was preferred for house frames.

Hala. Pandanus tectorius. Screw pine. Pandanaceae/Screw pine family. Indigenous. Male flowers are borne on male plants, female flowers on female plants. This tree was highly valued by the ancient Hawaiians. Fruits are used in lei; old fruits were used as brushes for applying color to kapa; the lauhala, or leaves of the hala, are used for plaiting into mats, hats, purses. Leaves were also used for house thatching. The fruits were a famine food.

`Ohi`a `ai. Syzygium malaccense. Mountain apple. Myrtaceae/Myrtle family. Polynesian introduction. This tree is a source of medicines. Also bears tasty fruits.

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`Akia Laua`e Kupukupu `Awapuhi Olena Pia Mamaki Naupaka Wauke
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