Notes on Propagating Traditional Hawaiian Plants
This page gathers together some information on how to
start growing
some of the plants Hawaiians traditionally used for food and other
purposes.
These plants are often called “canoe plants” because
Hawaiians brought
them from southern Polynesia on their voyaging canoes, and Oceanic
voyagers originally transported many of them from Southeast Asia —
although
they collected ‘uala from South America, and several of the canoe
plants, such as ‘awa and perhaps kalo and mai‘a, originated in the
southwestern Pacific. However, olonā is not really a canoe plant,
because it is native and endemic to Hawai‘i, and hala is indigenous and
found throughout the Pacific, though different varieties may have been
transported. Some people think that kukui may be indigenous as well.
Most of the information comes from Lynton Dove White’s
great Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai‘i
website, and from two series of publications available from
Agroforestry.net: The Traditional Tree
Initiative, and Specialty Crops for
Pacific Island Agroforestry.
These series also cover many other plants you can grow in Hawai‘i.
Some other good sites for learning about how to grow more Hawaiian
plants are Kamehameha Schools’ Nā Mea Kanu o Kamehameha,
CTAHR’s Native Hawaiian Plant Propagation Database.
and the Native Plants Hawai‘i (NPH) project from
Kapiʻolani and Leeward Community Colleges (KCC & LCC).
Each plant listing includes its scientific Latin
binomial name,
followed by the botanical family in parentheses linked to a description
on Dr. Gerry Carr’s UH website, from which most of the images
are taken.
Traditional Hawaiian Plants
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‘ape (elephant ear) — Alocasia
macrorrhiza
(Araceae)
From Specialty Crops for
Pacific Island Agroforestry:
Giant taro is easily propagated by cormlets or
suckers. In Wallis, the underground lateral suckers (mata kape)
are used. In Tonga, the preference is for large
suckers; in times of shortage, cormlets are used and their location in
the field is marked by a coconut frond. Suckers are planted in holes
15–25 cm deep while cormlets are planted in shallower 8–15 cm holes.
Fertilizers are seldom used. In Wallis, humus, ash and decomposed
leaves are mixed into the soil before planting. There is little attempt
to control insects or mealy bugs. Fungal diseases are likely if the
soil is too wet or infertile.
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‘awa (kava) — Piper
methysticum (Piperaceae)
From Specialty Crops for
Pacific Island Agroforestry:
The main requirement for cultivation of new kava
plants is to use freshly harvested stems exposed to a moist but
well-drained, pathogen-free environment. Although commercial rooting
preparations such as hormones may enhance root production, their use is
not necessary.
Kava propagates readily from mature, freshly
harvested entire stems or 1–4 node sections of stems. Stem sections
should be severed very close to a node to minimize rotting. Stem
sections having two or more nodes may survive and withstand rot better
than sections of only a single stem node. Place the stem sections into
a planting bed horizontally with the new leaf buds uncovered and facing
the sunlight. Whole kava stems may also be planted directly or allowed
to develop some roots and new shoots and then cut into smaller
plantlets.
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Note: today this is often called ‘awapuhi
kuahiwi to distinguish it from other gingers which have been more
recently introduced.
From Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai‘i:
This plant can easily be cultivated in home
gardens. A patch in my Hana garden kept me supplied with hair
conditioner and body lotion during the summers. If you are considering
growing it in your garden, be sure to allow a large area. The ‘awapuhi
tend to form thick stands, following their large underground stems
horizontally, just under the earth’s surface. ‘Awapuhi kuahiwi is best
propagated in autumn by planting a piece of rootstock with buds, in a
shallow trench of broken and composted soil.
|
 From
The Traditional Tree
Initiative:
The tree is mainly grown from branch cuttings, as
plants derived from seeds do not usually reproduce the same qualities
of the parental plant. Numerous cultivated traditional varieties (or
clones) exist on atolls; most have been selected for their superior
edible fruit qualities and are propagated from cuttings. The wild
varieties reproduce from seed in their native habitats and are
preferred for timber due to their longer, straighter boles.
From Hawaiian Native Plant
Propagation Database:
In Hawai’i, traditionally, Pandanus tectorius
was generally propagated by seed. To speed germination, soak the keys
in cool tap water for 5 days, changing the water every day. Viable
Pandanus
keys will float, so do not discard them. NTBG suggests
planting the keys in sterile potting mix at a depth of two times their
diameter; Bornhorst recommends removing the fleshy part of the key,
laying it on the planting medium, and burying it half way. Keep the
potting mix moist. Germination takes about 2 months.
Pandanus tectorius can be grown from large
cuttings. In Micronesia, selected forms of Pandanus tectorius are
propagated by stem cuttings. Plants with aerial or prop roots are
selected and about 2/3 of the leaves are trimmed off to reduce water
loss. Moriarty suggests using a mature branch with leaves and some
small aerial roots and rooting it in a sand bed. Plants grown from
cuttings fruit in 4 to 6 years.
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From Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai‘i:
In home gardens, hau is propagated from cuttings,
and the trunks can be trained to create a garden shelter or arbor
called a lanai hau. This plant is also grown as a natural fence
barrier.
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ipu (gourd) — Lageneria
siceraria (Cucurbitaceae)
 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
A climbing vine, ipu is traditionally planted
after the rainy season, during the Hua moon phase, 3-4 days before the
full moon. The word hua means fruit. During the flowering stage, when
male and female flowers are present, hand pollination is necessary,
usually at dusk or night, when the flowers bloom. The flowers are
single, small (1 1/12 inches long) and white. Wide-spreading vines with
downy, branched tendrils bear rounded heart-shaped hairy leaves. The
leaves are 5 lobed and from 4 to 16 inches in diameter. As the vine
grows, it needs support, such as a rock wall, a tree, or home-made
trellis. During the 6-9 months that the ipu fruit takes to mature, they
must be carefully tended and protected from stinging and biting insects
that like to lay their eggs in the young developing fruit. Coverings of
mosquito netting are one way of dealing with this problem. To prevent
mold, supports are used to suspend the fruit and mounds of grass or
straw are placed beneath the gourd where it contacts the earth.
Sometimes green, sometimes white or mottled, the gourds vary in shape
and size, according to their variety. They can also be shaped by
wrapping or tying them with cord, while they are maturing. Soft and
sometimes hairy, the immature fruit becomes smooth as it matures. More
varieties have been grown in Hawai‘i than elsewhere in Polynesia.
A sunny site on the leeward side, below the 1500
foot elevation, is the best growing place for ipu, although adequate
rainfall or irrigation, good drainage and shelter from the wind are all
necessary ingredients for fruitful growth. Less water is needed in the
last few months of growth. A loamy, sandy soil with crushed lava is
best, and of course, lots of room for the spreading vines. To produce
the most gourds from each plant, the central vine is cut off at 8-10
feet or earlier, to stimulate extending branches with more female
blossoms.
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kalo (taro) — Colocasia
esculenta (Araceae)
 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
In planting both wetland and dryland taro, the
huli, the planting material, consists of a 1/2 inch thick slice of the
top of the kalo (corm, from which derives the plant’s name) attached to
6 to 10 inches of the leaf-stem. These protrude above the water or
dryland where planted.
From Specialty Crops for
Pacific Island Agroforestry:
The planting materials are either setts or
cormels. In most of the Pacific island countries, setts are prepared
from mature corms and consist of the top 1 cm of the corm and about
20–50 cm of the petiole. Setts are also made from suckers in a similar
fashion. Larger setts are preferred as they produce larger yields.
Setts should be planted within a week of harvesting. All dead leaves
and outer petiole bases should be removed, trimming to a new leaf
inside.
A cormel is a small, immature corm produced by a
more mature main or mother corm. Cormels or sucker corms are also used
as planting material. For example, among the Maring cormels are the
main propagative material used for planting dryland taro.
From CTAHR Farmers’ Bookshelf:
Planting materials called "huli" (sets) are
prepared from suckers or main plants. These consist of the upper
1/8-1/4-inch section of the corms or cormels and the first 10-12 inches
of
the petioles.
|
 From
The Traditional Tree
Initiative:
Kamani is moderately easy to propagate by seed,
and local seed sources are easily found in the Pacific Islands.
Germination and initial growth is slow, however, and seedlings should
be started 6 months before they are required. Once outplanted,
seedlings are hardy but slow growing. They prefer full sun and tolerate
wind, salt spray, and drought.
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From Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
New plants propagate easily from cuttings and
grow best where sunlight and moisture are both available. The stem
cutting can be planted vertically for one plant, or horizontally for
several.
|
 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
To propagate, plant sections of the mature upper
portion of the stalk, using those pieces that have several nodes on
them. Each node will create a new stalk. Dig a trench 6-8 inches deep
and plant an 8-12 inch section sideways in the earth. Kō likes a lot of
sunshine and also moisture, and whenever possible, a rich soil.
Traditionally, sugar cane was planted in November-December.
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 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
This plant grows easily and quickly from seed,
preferring sunny warm coastal lowlands in the islands’ leeward areas.
It was cultivated near settlements, and is only occasionally found in
the wild forests.
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kukui (candlenut) — Aleurites
moluccana (Euphorbiaceae)
 From
The Traditional Tree
Initiative:
Propagation of kukui seedlings is easily done by
seed. Although the seeds can take up to 3–4 months to germinate, they
are large and quickly grow into strong, stout seedlings ready for field
planting. Seedlings are not finicky about growing location (tolerating
sun or partial shade), nor do they require special growing medium or
watering regimes. Due to the quick growth of germinating seeds into
seedlings, seeds lend themselves to either being direct-seeded in the
field or pregerminated in the nursery, then direct-seeded. Kukui can
also be propagated by cuttings, but this is uncommon and may not yield
a plant that grows as vigorously as a seedling.
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mai‘a (banana) — Musa
x paradisiaca (Musaceae)
 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
New plants develop quickly from underground
stems, usually forming
clumps of plants. The new plants are called keiki, children. The mai‘a
rhizome puts forth pohuli, suckers. Cutting out and transplanting
excess pohuli helps to promote fruit production. Keeping two keiki per
parent plant seems to work out best. The Hawai‘i way is to give extra
plants to a friend’s garden or to plant them in the wild for times of
scarcity. Traditionally, mai‘a was planted in clumps around the taro
lo‘i, pond fields, as well as near dwelling sites.
From Specialty Crops for
Pacific Island Agroforestry:
Bananas are usually propagated from suckers and
bits (pieces of corms with attached growing points), but export-type
commercial plantings more commonly use tissue-cultured plantlets. In
the Pacific, very large suckers are the normal planting material and
are usually established once the wet season has begun. Vigorous young
suckers that still have narrow leaves (“sword suckers”) are preferred
and are dug from existing plantings using a sharp tool such as a narrow
bladed shovel.
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 From
The Traditional Tree
Initiative:
Milo is generally propagated by seed, although it
can also be propagated by stem and root cuttings and by air-layering.
Seeds are usually plentiful and initial growth is fast, making milo a
relatively easy tree to grow. Containers need to be deep enough to
contain the vigorous taproot without allowing it to spiral.
From Hawaiian Native Plant
Propagation Database:
The seeds should be scarified (the seed coat
penetrated). This can be done using sandpaper, nail clippers, or by
cracking with a hammer. Care must be taken to avoid damaging the inner
part of the seed. The seeds do not require soaking. The seeds should be
planted in sterile potting mix at a depth of about twice the diameter
of the seed. Germination takes 14 to 28 days.
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 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
Propagation is by planting the whole coconut,
usually at its growing site. It is easy to determine the top of the nut
by floating it in water. Plant it with this side up, partially cover
and keep moist. Germination occurs in four to five months.
If the coconut is to be transplanted, germination
should be atop wide screening or loose rocks to prevent the roots from
taking hold. The plant should be moved before it is a foot high. The
plant responds well to organic fertilization and mulching, particularly
as it later begins to bear.
From Specialty Crops for Pacific Island
Agroforestry:
Coconuts are propagated solely by seed. The
seednut has no dormancy and requires no special treatment to
germinate. However, germination speed of seednuts varies within and
among ecotypes and varieties. Some Tall varieties (e.g., Malayan Talls)
germinate while still on the palm, while others like the West African
Tall and most Pacific populations take up to 6 weeks.
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 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
Cultivation is either by seed or cutting.
From The Traditional Tree Initiative:
Noni is relatively easy to propagate from seeds,
stem or root cuttings, and air-layering. The preferred methods of
propagation are by seed and by cuttings made from stem verticals.
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‘ohe (bamboo) — Schizostachyum
glaucifolium,
Bambusa
vulgaris (Poaceae)
 From Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai‘i:
Bamboo grows in clumps of culms called sympodial,
the term for tropical bamboo that grows directly from the parent, where
the culm and rhizome are one. Other kinds of bamboo have a single
free-standing culm and are called monopodial, which means they grow out
of a rhizome that travels fast and far underground.
More info from Specialty Crops for
Pacific Island Agroforestry.
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‘ōhi‘a ‘ai (mountain apple) — Syzygium
malaccense ( Myrtaceae )
 From
The Traditional Tree
Initiative:
The seeds germinate well, and many can usually be
found sprouting under their parent tree. While seed propagation is
common, air-layering has been successfully used, and cuttings have been
rooted in sand in Hawai‘i. These vegetative methods of reproduction are
used especially on high yielding individuals. Some people prefer to
graft superior varieties onto seedling stocks.
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 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
If you wish to cultivate ‘ōlena in your garden,
remember that this plant likes rich soil, some shade and plenty of
water. After the rhizomes are planted, ‘ōlena hides in the garden for
three or more months. In addition, this plant is usually dormant from
about September to March, but the roots do survive and will revive to
come up with green leaves once again.
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From Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai‘i:
Propagation is from rooted stem cuttings, root
shoots and occasionally from seeds, all of which were thickly planted
in previously cleared areas. Although seldom cultivated these days, in
ancient Hawai‘i olonā was widely cultivated in very wet interior
valleys upland.
Some olonā plantation patches were as large as
two to three acres. The cuttings were planted close together to
encourage straight unbranched stems. The few branches that did grow
were removed regularly. In a year’s time the plants were mature enough
to harvest. They were 6 to 10 feet tall, and the bark could be easily
stripped at this young age.
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pia (Polynesian arrowroot) — Tacca
leontopetaloides (Taccaceae)
 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
To propagate pia, plant the tuber in a hole, near
the end of the rainy season. The best time to harvest the tubers is
when the leaves are dry and yellowing. Pia’s leaves die in winter,
while the underground tubers remain dormant until springtime. In the
spring, the slender, finely grooved leafstalks are sent up 1 to 3 feet
high, with broad leaves, similar in appearance to papaya leaves —
divided, with many lobes. These are 1 to 2 feet wide.
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 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
Propagation is from stem cuttings or slips, not
from the tubers. the 6-9 inch slips are planted about a foot apart,
preferably in mounds, pu‘e, or ridges, allowing the vines to trail off
outside the beds. It is a good idea to plant ‘uala near the periphery
of a garden, as the plants tend to take over the area in which they
grow, and to wander on and on. The vines make a lovely ground cover in
any event.
In planting, the older vines are used, with the
cuttings being vine ends broken off from 10-20 inches from the tip.
Gather these in the evening, not in the heat of the day. Pluck all
leaves off except for three or four at the end, being careful to leave
the leaf bud at the tip. Planting can be the next day, or even several
days later, if the slips are kept moist, such as in a bucket of water.
Root buds may begin to appear during this time.
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 From
Canoe
Plants of Ancient Hawai‘i:
Uhi is a vine that grows for support on tree
trunks and branches in moist forests and gulches. It is also grown upon
stakes and other supports. The vine grows during summertime and withers
away in the winter, while the large edible tubers continue to grow
underground. New vine shoots appear at the beginning of the spring
rainy season, which is the best time to dig up the yams to eat. It
takes a full year’s cycle to grow a crop. For food to be produced, the
plants need a warm moist growing place with loose soil, and can be
planted anytime of the year by propagation from pieces of the tuber,
which will bear sprouts.
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‘ulu (breadfruit) — Artocarpus
altilis (Moraceae)
 From
Canoe Plants of
Ancient Hawai‘i:
Breadfruit is propagated from shoots growing from
the roots or from one
inch diameter root cuttings, 9 to 10 inches long. These can be placed
in a shaded bed until a 2-3 foot top has grown. The ‘ulu plant grows an
extensive root system, so it is best to plant it where it will have
plenty of room to stretch out and also up! It does not transplant
easily. Trees begin to bear five to seven years after planting the root
shoot.
From The Traditional Tree
Initiative:
Breadfruit is easy to propagate from root shoots
or root cuttings, by air-layering branches, or from seeds. Breadfruit
can also be grafted using various techniques. Stem cuttings are not
used. Seeds are rarely grown because they do not develop true to type.
Vegetative propagation is a must for seedless varieties, and root
shoots or root cuttings are the preferred methods for both seeded and
seedless varieties.
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wauke (paper mulberry) — Broussonetia
papyrifera (Moraceae)
 From
The Traditional Tree
Initiative:
Root shoots (suckers), cut matted roots, stem
cuttings, or sections of “second growth” stems are used for
propagation.
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