In 1974, Amy B. H. Greenwell amassed many acres to form this ethnobotanical garden. It is dedicated to conserving and supporting native Hawaiian plant sources, traditional land uses, and cultural practices. All plants are native or "canoe" plants - brought to Hawaii on a canoe to plant. In ancient times, terraced gardens were used to produce food.
Jim Miller, a garden volunteer and storyteller extraordinaire, gave us a memorable and informative tour.
Jim shows us the sharp spines/thorns on a hala leaf. Hala (sometimes referred to as lauhala - leaf of the hala tree) is very strong and used for weaving mats, sails, jewelry (such as the jewelry shown in an earlier post at a museum shop), and baskets, among other items. These thorns are cut off with a knife or a sharp seashell. Mature trees have visible roots (walking roots) to support the tree.
Below is the koai'a tree. The leaves point down - an adaptation in dry climate - so that rain can easily slide off.
The ulu tree (shown below), also known as breadfruit, can produce enough food for an entire village.
Ūlei is a common sprawling shrub related to roses. In ancient times, Hawaiians used the plant medicinally.
Ulei flower
Yellow hibiscus - Hawaii's state flower
The juice made from the fruit of the noni tree (seen below) is used for inflammation, lowering blood sugar, and other uses. It has a horrid smell before it's fermented. Jim cut one open, and we took a whiff - a combination of stinky feet and putrid garbage.
The official state tree of Hawaii is the kukui nut tree or kukui tree. It’s known elsewhere as the candlenut tree. Historians consider this tree to be a
“canoe plant.” Hawaiians used the oil from the nuts to coat fisherman’s nets or to
illuminate candle-pods. The outer shell became a
natural dye for tattoos. The oil from the kukui nut was used as
topical dressing for massaging sore muscles, soothing burns, chapped
skin and wounds.
We saw more varieties of kalo plants. Some were light green, others were a purple-green.
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