AʻALIʻI

What’s up, I’m A’ali’i! I’m indigenous to Hawaii, found on all the main islands, and am one of the few native Hawaiian plants that can endure fires. I’m among the early colonizers of lava flows, am drought tolerant, and can withstand very strong winds. I’m always looking for a new adventure and I’m ready for whatever life throws my way!

But hey, just cause I’m tough doesn’t mean I can’t be pretty too ;). My characteristics vary from shrub to small tree, and I grow to anywhere between 1 and 38 ft tall. I have dense, green foliage adorned with tons of little star shaped flowers that can range in color from pale yellow-green to light pink to dark burgundy red. My fruit also varies in color, and I’m part of the soapberry family

Where I live:

I’m naturally occurring at a wide range of elevations from sea level to 8,000 ft. I live everywhere from dry coastal lowlands to wetter mesic forests, and I’m very abundant in dry forests.

My favorite places to hang out are sunny open areas, so you can usually find me on ridges.

Occupation:

  • I’m often a part of restoration work since my deep roots give slopes and stream banks more structural integrity

  • I’m also used in landscaping as a windbreak 

  • Traditionally, my black heartwood is used by Hawaiians to craft canoes, houses, weapons, and agricultural tools

  • Plus, the seed capsules in my flowers are used to make leis and red dye

  • In Hawaiian culture, I’m even medicinal

I have a lot going, but I don't mind it. I like to keep busy and I’ll always be there to help out!

ALAHEʻE

Aloha! I’m Alahe’e, a small hardwood tree in the coffee family. I’m looking for a warm, sunny place to live and someone patient to take care of me. I grow pretty slowly at first, but I promise I’m worth the wait! After a year I’ll start growing 1-2 ft a year and I’ll get really fragrant flowers once I reach 3 or 4 ft tall.

Appearance: 

I have dark green leaves, small dark green or purple fruit, and sometimes clusters of little white flowers. My flowers appear pretty sporadically, but often during winter, oh, and I grow to about 10-30 ft tall and 3-10 ft wide.

Location: 

  • I can grow in a some different types of habitats; dry shrublands, dry forests, and wet forests (I’m super flexible about water, but I do best if I’m not watered more than once a week)

  • I live at elevations of around 30-3,800 ft

  • I’m looking for a new place rn, somewhere in full sun to part shade with moist but well drained soil

Favorite thing: 

Summer sunnnn  -  I can deal with some frost in the winter, but summertime with all the heat and sunlight are when I really thrive.

Originally from:

I’m native to Hawaii, you can find me on Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, Lanai’i, Molokai, and Kauai

Occupation:

  • Traditionally, Hawaiians use my wood to make spears, fish hooks, and other tools, and my flowers are incorporated in leis. My leaves also make dark brown/black dye and I can even be used medicinally to cleanse blood.

  • Nowadays I can be a replacement for the non-native mock orange tree.

MAIʻA

Aloha! I’m Mai’a, though you probably know me as the banana tree (even though I’m technically part of the grass family, not actually a tree). I’m a canoe plant, brought to Hawaii as a staple food by the earliest polynesian settlers. On top of being used for food, my fruit can also help dye tapa cloth, and the peels can be used medicinally for wounds. 

I grow to about 10-25 ft tall, I have paddle-shaped leaves that can be up to 10 ft long, and I have yellow flowers and fruit. I grow super quickly too! From the time you plant a bulb, my fruit will be ready for harvest in less than a year 😊

Random fun fact about me: 

Legends say that I was brought to Hawaii by a brother of Pele.

Likes/wants:

  • Lots of water

  • Full sun

  • Plenty of space to grow

  • Warm tropical climates 

Even though I do best in sun and heat, and am most commonly found in humid tropical areas, some of my varieties are pretty cold hardy. My greatest strengths are probably my resilience and adaptability; I grow on every continent but Antartica! I can thrive in habitats, soil types, and elevations ranging from mountains to valleys to beaches, so I’m open to lots of different people and places for my next home.

Mamaki

Hey there! I’m Mamaki, or Waimea pipturus in english. I’m a small tree/large shrub endemic to Hawaii and am part of the nettle family. I live a fast paced lifestyle and am looking for someone who can keep up with me and appreciate everything I bring to native ecosystems <33

About me: 

I usually grow to between 10 and 30 ft tall, and I have light green, rough textured leaves with pink/red colored veins. I can also bear hundreds of white fruit at a time.

I grow very quickly, typically 10-15 ft in just the first year, but I have a relatively short life span. I have a high germination rate and high mortality rate, and tend to be very delicate when I’m young, before I get the chance to develop a strong root system. 

Where I live:

  • I only live in Hawaii, on all the islands except Niihao and Kahoolawa

  • I can be found in forests at elevations of 200-6,000 ft

  • I grow best in some shade and with moist, fertile soil, but can also do just fine in the sun as long as I have enough water

What I do:

  • I’m important to young native forests because, since I grow so quickly, I can provide the shade needed for other plants to develop

  • I often have a fair bit of dieback, which helps feed the forest and gives other living things the nutrients and/or place to grow

  • I host caterpillars for the 2 butterfly species native to Hawaii: the Kamehameha butterfly and Blackburn’s blue butterfly

  • In traditional Hawaiian culture, my fruit is used in treatments for illnesses, my bark fiber makes kapa and rope, and my leaves are combined with hot stones and spring water to make herbal tea

SourSop

Hi, I’m Soursop! My scientific name is Annona muricata, but I got the nickname ‘soursop’ because of my fruit’s citrus-y taste when ripe. Some people say my fruit is like a more sour combination of a strawberry and an apple, has the texture of a banana, and smells like pineapple. 

About me: 

I’m a small, broadleaf evergreen tree native to the Caribbean and tropical regions of the Americas. I’m now widely cultivated in subtropical and tropical areas like India, and am part of the custard apple tree family. I can grow to about 30 ft tall, have glossy, dark green leaves, and yellow-green flowers with 3 thick petals each that grow in groups of 1-3. My fruit can be up to a foot long and is dark green and prickly on the outside, with a juicy white interior.

Special skills:

  • I can grow even in Hawaii’s volcanic soils

  • I’m also the most drought tolerant of my plant family

My biggest weakness is definitely the cold - temperatures below 40 degrees F can damage my leaves and branches, and sometimes even be fatal…

Anywayyyys, I live in high humidity, relatively warm areas that don’t get too cold in winter, and I like full to part sun, low altitudes between 0 and 3,900 ft, and soil with organic matter.

Occupation: 

In Hawaiian culture, I have a bunch of different medicinal purposes

  • My seeds can fight infections

  • My leaves can treat headaches and insomnia

  • My fruit can help treat arthritis, stomach problems, and some nervous disorders

Currently, my fruit pulp is used to make smoothies, fruit juice drinks, candies, sorbets, and ice cream flavorings!

Pikake

Aloha! I’m Pikake, a beautiful, fragrant flower, and a symbol of love and affection in Hawaiian culture. I can be a little high maintenance at times, and growing me requires regular watering, fertilizing, and pruning, but the elegance I’ll bring to any garden makes it all worthwhile.

About me:

I’m a broadleaf evergreen shrub, one of twelve jasminum species, and grow up to 6 ft tall and 2-3 ft wide with gorgeous white flowers. They were Princess Kaiulani’s favorite, so she named me pikake after ‘peacock,’ the bird she loved. In the USA mainland I’m known as Arabian jasmine.

Likes:

Warm sunny days - I grow best in full sun and I like daytime temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees

Summer’s my favorite season; I love the long hot days and not too cold nights (anything below 70 means I won’t produce as many flowers). I don’t grow flowers at all from November to January, I mean, everyone deserves a break for the holidays, right?

Occupation:

Other countries like India, Thailand, China, and the Philippines use my flowers to make perfume and flavoring for tea.

In Hawaii, my flowers are used in leis and I’m an eye-catching feature of lots of gardens, hopefully yours next!