Hame
Antidesma pulvinatum
These are small trees up that can grow anywhere between 6-25 ft. tall.
They have beautiful foliage in terms of their color: which is a glossy maroon when young and a glossy dark green when older; their shape: elliptical with clean margins and a sharp apex; and their arrangement which alternates tightly along each branch. Flowers develop on panicles which turn into small reddish-purple grapelike fruit. The contrast between the young leaves, mature leaves and fruit make this plant very attractive.
He kumulāʻau; ʻeono a i iwakāluakūmālima kapuaʻi ke kiʻekiʻe. He mau lau uliuli a hinuhinu a he mau liko ʻulaʻula. Oloolo nā lau o ka hame a kupu lālani nā lau ma ka lālā. He mau hua kohu pōpolo ko ka hame. A he lāʻau hiehie ke nānā aku.
This species of Antidesma is not too common but can occasionally be seen in the dry to mesic forests of O’ahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawai’i. The one pictured here is from the Wai’anae Mts. on O’ahu.
Ulu kākaʻikahi ka hame ma ka wao maloʻo a me ka wao maʻukele ma Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, me Hawaiʻi. No ke kuahiwi o Kaʻala ka hame i loko o ke kiʻi.
The hardwood of hame is used to make anvils either for beating kapa or even more for preparing olona (kahako over the a) (Touchardia lattifolia) to make cordage. The dark reddish-purple berries are also used to make a dye for kapa.
He lāʻau paʻa e kālai ʻia ai he kua no ke kuku kapa a no ke kahi ʻana i ke olonā (Touchardia lattifolia) no ke kaula. He wahi wai hoʻoluʻu kekahi ko nā hua o ka hame.
This tree would make an excellent addition to any garden. Its attractiveness extends well beyond the native plant enthusiasts’ eyes and is fairly easy to take care of. Daily watering is ok in well drained soil but reduce to watering only when needed once the plant is established. This plant also and thrives in full sun to somewhat filtered sunlight. Young trees are more susceptible to damage from either mealy bugs or aphids but can be easily remedied by pruning off affected leaves.
Maʻalahi ka mālama ʻana i ka hame i loko o ka māla a he lāʻau kēia e hoʻonaninani hoʻi i ka māla. Ma ka lepo ʻākeke, e hāinu i kēlā me kēia lā a hiki i ka paʻa ʻana o nā aʻa. Aia a paʻa, ʻaʻole nō pono ka wai he nui loa. Maikaʻi ke kanu ʻana i kahi e pā nui ai ka lā. I kekahi wā, pilikia ka hame i nā mū a me nā ʻeleao. Ke pilikia, e ʻoki i ia mau lau a kīloi aku.
This is one of two species of Antidesma native to Hawai’i. Both are called hame but other names for the two include: ha’a (with a kahako above the second a), ha’amaile (same kahako placing), hamehame, mehame, and mehamehame (not to be confused with another plant called mehamehame, (that has a kahako over the first e) Fluggea neowawraea which is an endangered species and known for its extremely dense hardwood, but occurs in the same family as hame (Euphorbiacea).
Ma ke ao akeakamai, ʻelua lāhui o ka Antidesma o Hawaiʻi nei. Kapa ʻia naʻe nā ʻano ʻelua he hame. He mau inoa ʻē aʻe hoʻi kekahi; he haʻā, haʻāmaile, hamehame, a mehame.