Kō
Saccharum officinarum
There are many varieties or cultivars of Ko that were developed by ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻis. Generally, they are large grasses with hard stems (stalks) and long blades. This plant can reach heights of up to 15 feet tall. Its most attractive feature is its stalk, which range in color from light yellow (Ko Kea) to dark red (Ko Honua Ula). Many varieties have different striped combinations like maroon and green (Ko Manulele) or yellow pink and green (Ko Halali’i), all of which are very striking.
Varieties of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi sugar cane were hybridized with introduced ones to produce the type that was grown commerically here. Plantations started in the early 1800s, when people came from all over the world to work in them, resulting in the Hawaiʻi’s diversity.
Nui nā ʻano kō Hawaiʻi mai nā kūpuna mai. ʻO ka mea maʻamau, he pū ʻano kiʻekiʻe; ʻumikūmālima kapuaʻi. Nani nō nā ʻano hā o ke kō, he hā melemele ko ke kō kea, a he ʻula ka hā o ke kō honua ʻula. He hā ʻōniʻoniʻo ʻula-ʻōmaʻomaʻo ko ke kō manulele, a he hā ʻōniʻoniʻo melemele/ʻākala/ʻōmaʻomaʻo ko ke kō halāliʻi.
No ka wā mahikō o Hawaiʻi, ua hoʻonoho ʻia ke kō Hawaiʻi me ke kō haole no ka hānau ʻana he kō ʻokoʻa. ʻO kēia mau pulapula ke kō i mahi nui ʻia no ke kūʻai ʻana aku.
Ko was brought to Hawaiʻi by early Polynesian settlers and is termed a Polynesian introduction. It originates in southern Asia or Malaysia. In Hawaiʻi, many varieties were cultivated on all the islands, but today they mainly exist in botanical gardens.
Ua lawe ʻia ke kō i Hawaiʻi e nā kānaka. ʻO ʻĀkia ke kulāiwi mua o ke kō. Ma Hawaiʻi, nui nā ʻano kō i mahi ʻia ma nā mokupuni like ʻole; i kēia wā naʻe, mālama ʻia kēia mau ʻano kō ma kekahi mau māla e mālama ʻia ai nā mea kanu.
Ko has many uses in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi culture, most importantly as a sweetener. Juice was extracted from the fibrous stalk and used to sweeten dessert puddings and to make medicines more palatable. Children were also encouraged to chew the sweet stalk to strengthen their teeth and gums.
The juice of certain varieties were used as a love potion to induce the love of another person, while other varieties were used to block that love spell.
The blades were also used for house thatching when the more preferred pili grass was not available.
Makemake nui ʻia ke kō ma muli o ka wai momona o loko. ʻUwī ʻia ka wai no ke kūlolo a no ka hōʻono i ka lāʻau lapaʻau kekahi. Paipai ʻia nā keiki e nahunahu i ke kō no ka hoʻoikaika ʻana i nā niho.
Hoʻohana ʻia ke kō ma ka ʻanāʻanā no ka hana pili i ke aloha. A inā ʻaʻohe pili o ka hale, hiki ke hoʻohana i nā lau kō.
Ko thrives best in full sun and daily watering is recommended but not necessary. Due to its appearance, Ko is a great accent plant for any garden, the Ko variety Honua’ula stands out especially because of its dark red stalk and leaf blades.
Maikaʻi ke kanu ʻana i ke kō i kahi e pā nui ai ka lā. E aho e hāinu i kēlā me kēia lā, akā ʻaʻole pono. Nani nō ke kō no nā māla like ʻole ma muli o nā waihoʻoluʻu like ʻole.