Legendary Roots

Captivating stories behind native flora

WORDS COCO ZICKOS

Native plants are rooted in Hawaiian culture and are an intrinsic part of the islands. Hearty seeds found their way to the middle of the Pacific Ocean millions of years ago by way of elements like the tides, wind and birds, and evolved plant characteristics unlike anywhere else on Earth. Others were established by way of roots and cuttings, called “canoe” plants, brought via vessels guided by mighty Polynesian voyagers. These are the indigenous and native plants revered by Hawaiians. And while many of the original flora inhabitants have since gone extinct, a few are still relatively common across the islands and have stories associated with them that are based upon ancient mo‘olelo (legends).

The following are some species you might encounter during your tropical vacation, along with their magnificent mythological tales. The stories behind these plants are as alluring as they are visually appealing.

Naupaka

The flowers of this waxy green-leaf shrub that grows abundantly along most shorelines (naupaka kahakai), as well as in the mountains (naupaka kuahiwi), tell the tale of two star-crossed lovers. This indigenous plant is believed to represent the forbidden love of a princess named Naupaka, sister of volcano goddess, Pele, and a fisherman named Kaui. They adored each other, but could not be together because people of royal heritage were prohibited to marry commoners. One story goes that they traveled into the mountains to seek advice from a kahuna (high priest) who told them that he could not offer them any help. They prayed at a heiau (temple) and as they asked for guidance it started to rain, which was deemed a bad omen.

Naupaka took a flower from her hair, tore it in half and kept one side while giving Kaui the other. Kaui returned to the shoreline with his half of the flower while Naupaka stayed in exile in the mountains with hers.

If you look closely at the white or light yellow blossoms of the naupaka, you’ll see that the flowers bloom in halves, representing the sad love story of two ancient Hawaiians whose hearts were torn apart. It is said that when the two halves are brought together to make a whole flower, the two lovers are reunited.

‘Ilima

This is another common shrub typically found along the shorelines of Kaua‘i and O‘ahu. Also known as “black coral,” its golden blossom is the official flower of O‘ahu. Lei that are created with these flowers represent royalty and were often presented to those who held high rank.

This native plant is tied to a story about the goddess, Hina. She was held captive in a cave below Waiānuenue (Rainbow Falls) on the Big Island by a mo‘o (lizard, reptile) named Kuna Loa. Her brave son, Mäui, a Hawaiian demigod, managed to rescue her from her the dwelling and killed the great sea creature. In honor of her release, Hina created and wore a gorgeous ÿilima lei.

Another story goes that Laka, the goddess of hula, sometimes takes the form of ‘ilima. The blossoms, in fact, are part of many stories involving Hawaiian entities.

Pōhuehue and Kauna‘oa

Pōhuehue is another shoreline shrub, a beach morning glory, and has purple or pink-colored flowers and thick, waxy leaves that are common among these indigenous coastal plants. It is often seen entangled with the yellow filaments of the native kauna‘oa, the official flower of Lāna‘i.

The tale of these two plants is as entwined as they are often found and refers to the lovers, Pöhuehue and Kauna‘oa, who would spend all of their time together fishing, strolling along the beach and playing games. One day, however, they had an argument and Pöhuehue became so angry, he paddled his canoe all the way to Lāna‘i where he stayed.

Kauna‘oa was so upset by his sudden departure and spent years pining over him. Pöhuehue ended up dreaming of his lost love one evening, and the next morning plucked a yellow flower from the hau tree and placed it into the ocean. The flower made its way toward O‘ahu where Kauna‘oa was swimming in Kahana Bay— the special place they once spent their days together. She knew it was from him since he used to always pluck them for her as a sign of his endearment. She followed a path of the flowers all the way to where Pōhuehue was on Lāna‘i and now they are forever wrapped together along the coastlines.

‘Ulu

‘Ulu (breadfruit) is one of the most highly esteemed of the canoe plants, particularly on Kaua‘i where it is said to have been brought by the Tahitian voyager, Moikeha, who later became ali‘i nui (high chief) of the island.

The plant symbolizes the Hawaiian war god, Kū. Legend has it that Kū once lived in human form as a farmer whose family suffered from famine. He couldn’t stand watching his wife and children starve so he planted himself in the ground. His wife cultivated the spot where he was buried until a sprout grew and turned into a breadfruit tree that was able to nourish and sustain them again.

Kalo

Another staple of the Hawaiian diet steeped in mythology is kalo (more commonly called taro). Taro patches (lo‘i) abound along the wetlands of Hanalei. Here, the plant is harvested to make various food products like poi, the steamed and pounded root of the plant.

To Hawaiians, kalo represents the “staff of life.” Their creation story centers around the gods, Wākea and Ho‘ohōkūkalani, whose firstborn, Hāloa, did not survive. Where the baby was buried, a kalo plant subsequently grew. According to legend, Hāloa’s mother’s tears helped him sprout. Notice that each leaf of the taro is shaped like a heart and water gathers in the center of each leaf in the shape of a teardrop.

Their second child, also named Hāloa in honor of their firstborn, was a healthy boy who all Hawaiian people are believed to be the descendants of. The younger Hāloa went on to nurture the kalo that sprouted from his older brother. The story is a reminder that the earth will provide if nourished and nurtured.

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua

The official flower of the Big Island, this is the state’s most abundant native tree. The tree’s fluffy flowers (lehua) resemble bright red holiday ornaments, but can also occur in different colors such as yellow, orange, pink or cream.

Legends of this prized plant are as rich as the varied forms it comes in. The flower is another representation of two starcrossed lovers. The couple endured the fury of Pele who wished to wed the dashing warrior named ‘Ōhi‘a, but his heart already belonged to a young woman named Lehua. Pele, scorched with emotions, turned ‘Ōhi‘a into a gnarled tree to punish him.

The Hawaiian gods empathized with Lehua who was destroyed by the loss, so they turned her into a beautiful blossom, united forever with her lover. It’s been said that if you pluck one of the flowers, it will rain the same day, symbolic of Lehua’s misery, once again, for being separated from the love of her life.

Despite ‘ōhi‘a lehua’s deep ties to the environment and culture, the plant is currently undergoing a terrible plight. A fungal disease called Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) has claimed vast acres of the endemic species since about 2010, mostly on the Big Island, though the disease was recently detected on Kaua‘i. The number one action visitors can do to help prevent the spread of the fungus is use the decontamination stations at trailheads before and after going into the forest.

Many more plants have captivating stories tied to their roots. Next time you find native flora, imagine the legends it could have associated with it and remember to appreciate their cultural history and importance to the people of Hawai‘i.