Native Hawaiian Plant Month Day 4: Hoawa

Aloha Kākou!

Welcome to Lā ʻEkolu (Day Three) of ka Mahina Lāʻau Kamaʻāina! (Native Hawaiian Plant Month). In case you forgot what we are up to this month, click here for a refresher! 

Lā ʻEhā (Day 4): Hōʻawa

Hōʻawa (Pittosporum napaliense) is an endemic plant that is native to Hawaii. It can be tough to tell Hōʻawa apart from Alani, (another native plant), because their leaves look so similar. Look close to see if you can find a nut on this shrub-like tree. If it has a nut, then you know you have Hōʻawa! Hōʻawa can be found on the Waianae and Koolau Mountain Ranges on Oahu. Its nut is a favorite food for ʻAlalā, (the extremely endangered Hawaiian crow).

If youʻd like to learn how to illustrate Hōʻawa, click here.

If youʻd like to see all of our collective content for Native Hawaiian Plant Month, click here.

To get in the Lāʻau Kamaʻāina spirit this month, make sure you check us out at our Merrie Monarch Pop Up at the Grand Naniloa Hotel, (4/12 – 4/15 from 10am – 3pm), where we’ll be selling our newest creations featuring endemic species like palapalai, ilima, naupaka and several Hawaiian birds. At *this event only* we’ll have thrifted jean jackets with Naupaka, ilima, and mamane (to name a few) - inspired fabric that was featured in our MAMo Weareable Art show! (Super limited stock so run, don’t walk!) If you can’t make it to Hilo, no worries beef curries! You can still get your Naupaka on with our Naupaka Vinyl Stickers, available here on our website.

Stay tuned for more Lāʻau Kamaʻāina fun!

Mahalo for the resource used for this article:

1. Bishop Museum. “Online Database.” Bishop Museum - Ethnobotany Database, Bishop Museum, http://data.bishopmuseum.org/ethnobotanydb/ethnobotany.php?b=list&o=1. 
2. “Hui Ku Maoli Ola - Transforming Land Back To ‘Āina.” Hui Ku Maoli Ola Native Plant Nursery, Hui Ku Maoli Ola,
http://hawaiiannativeplants.com/.