LOCAL VIBE

Mark Twain's Tree

Scientifically categorized Samanea saman, the more poetically named Monkeypod tree is one of the most giving trees on our planet. From a single trunk, and with proper years and pristine environments to mature, its branches and dense crown can grow, strengthen and extend to about 200 feet in diameter. A flowering tree, the monkeypod is an exceptional source of shade for people and livestock, one of the reasons it became popular in Hawai‘i. They also grow pods that hold edible seeds and pulp that are supposed to taste like licorice. When these flowers, pods, and foliage fall to the ground, it enriches the soil around them with nitrogen and helps other life flourish. Furthermore, their wood can be used for furniture, woodcrafts, and even making paper. Some cultures even have a few folk remedies that utilize various parts of the Monkeypod tree.

Its origin is believed to trail to the tropical environments from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico through Guatemala to Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. Its arrival to Hawai‘i was a part of businessman Peter Brinsmade’s journey from Panama to Hawai‘i. He planted two seedlings in Hawai‘i, one in Honolulu’s downtown area, and another in Kōloa on the island of Kaua‘i. These two seedlings are known to be the ancestors of all Monkeypod trees in Hawai‘i, including the tree that Mark Twain planted in the town of Wai‘ōhinu on the Big Island during there time here in 1866.