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Although the coastal zone of Nawiliwili
Bay lacked the great variety of plants found in coastal environments
in the south Pacific islands, the indigenous coastal plants
at Nawiliwili would have been familiar to Hawaiian explorers,
who called this zone ko kaha kai. |
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The kaha kai,
or coastal zone, of Nawiliwili Bay is made of coral, basalt
cliffs, sandy beaches, and basalt and coral boulders.
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Plant photos in this section are courtesy of the UH Botany Dept.
Descriptive text is taken from How to Plant a Native Hawaiian
Garden, an online handbook. |
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The native plants along the coast
were mostly dwarf shrublands. We can see in this old photo of
Kalapaki that the natural vegetation was much less than 3.3
feet high.. Notice the pond behind the house. When the Westin
Hotel dug their swimming pool here, they had problems dealing
with the water from this spring. |
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Here are the most common coastal
native plants that would have grown in this area before human
arrival. Most are indigenous (naturally occurring here and in
other parts of the world). They are resistant to the water loss
caused by salt spray. |
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| Pohuehue - Ancient
Hawaiians used the seeds, roots, and leaves as a cathartic and
as a poultice for skin ailments and broken bones. Indigenous
to beach areas on all the main islands. Surfers whip the sea
with long strands of pohuehue to encourage high waves
for surfing |
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Naupaka kahakai - the only
non endemic naupaka of eight species in the islands |
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| 'Ilima - indigenous
to all the islands, `ilima is the island flower of O`ahu.
Parts of the `ilima were used medicinally, flower buds
as a mild laxative for children; bark of the roots mixed with
other plants and water, strained and drunk as a kind of tonic. |
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Hinahina ku-kahakai
- Hinahina ku-kahakai is widely distributed throughout
Polynesia. In Hawai`i, it occurs in rocky or sandy coastal areas
on all islands except Lana`i and Kaho`olawe. Designated as the
island flower for Kaho`olawe, its silvery rosettes are prized
as a lei material. |
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'Akulikuli - indigenous
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Akiaki - indigenous
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Hala -indigenous. Hala was valued
most for its tough pliable leaves for
plaiting mats, canoe sails, baskets,
and other domestic articles. Fleshy
ends the keys of ripe hala fruit are
cut from the hard seed end and sewn
into a lei. These fleshy ends also were
cooked and eaten during famine,
or eaten raw. Dried keys were used
as brushes for decorating tapa, and
the pollen from the hinanao (male flower) was used as
a love potion. |
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Hau - found in low swampy areas, as well as valley bottoms.
Ancient Hawaiians used the light but durable wood for floats,
booms, canoe outriggers and for starting fires. Bast, or the
inner bark fibers, were made into cordage. Possibly indigenous. |
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Moving inland from the coast of Nawiliwili
Bay, the original Hawaiian settlers saw strange native plants
that were uniquely different from the plants of their old home.
This was the lowland
dry and mesic forest, a place that Hawaiians would change
and adapt to their own uses. A place that Hawaiians called
kula. |
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