Kupukupu
Nephrolepis cordifolia
A type of sword fern with erect fronds standing 1-2 ft. tall and 2-3 inches wide. Each frond is comprised of many smaller pinnae (frondlets), each about 1-11/2 inches long and about ¼ inch wide. Generally, these ferns are terrestrial meaning that their stolons (sprawling stems of ferns, which look like roots) spread out across the surface of the dirt but occasionally they will be epiphytic, crawling up trees or tree ferns. The most distinguishing characteristic of this fern is that it is the only species of Nephrolepis in Hawaiʻi to have underground tubers that develop on the stolons which serve as food storage as well as a means to reproduce since new ferns will develop from it.
Hoʻokahi a ʻelua kapuaʻi nā oho o ke kupukupu e kū pololei. Kolo nā aʻa o ke kupukupu a kupu ma nā kumulāʻau. Ma muli o ke ʻano e ulu ai nā aʻa, kupu mai nā pulapula e like me ka ʻohā o ke kalo. ʻO ke kupukupu wale nō ke ʻano palai hoʻokahi e hana pēlā.
This indigenous fern is found throughout the tropics and is a common fern in cultivation. Here in Hawaiʻi it is fairly common and found on all the main islands in mesic (somewhat wet) to wet forests.
Ulu nui ke kupukupu i ka wao maʻukele.
It was often used to decorate hula altars symbolizing that it was a place of learning, or sprouting knowledge since the word kupu means to sprout. The fronds are also used for making lei.
Hoʻowehiwehi ʻia nā kuahu hula i ke kupukupu ma muli o ka manaʻo “kupu.” Wili ʻia hoʻi ke kupukupu i lei.
Plant kupukupu in either full sun or partial shade. It looks great as an accent plant around landscape pohaku (stones) or planted as a mass groundcover, the only thing with that is to not plant them too close. Each fern should not be planted closer than 18 inches apart. This is because they can out-compete each other and eventually die back in a short amount of time. You can also plant them at the base of a rock wall and they will slowly crawl up the wall sprouting new ferns in various crevices. Daily watering is fine as long as they are planted in well drained soil. Don’t allow the fern to sit in standing water, it will start to turn yellow and defoliate often dying.
E kanu i ke kupukupu i kahi e pā nui ai ka lā, a mamalu iki paha. Nani ke kanu ʻana i kahi o nā pōhaku, a kanu nui ʻia paha i uhi ai ka lepo. Mai kanu kokoke; ʻumikūmāwalu ʻīniha ke kōwā ma waena o nā kupukupu. Ke kanu ʻia ma kahi o ka pā pōhaku, e kolo ana paha i nā māwae o ia pā pōhaku. Hiki ke hāinu i kēlā me kēia lā inā kanu ʻia i ka lepo ʻākeke, akā mai hāinu nui i ka lepo ʻalolo.
There are at least five different species of Nephrolepis found here in the wild of these only two are native, this one described here and another larger species named Nephrolepis exaltata subsp. hawaiiensis which is an endemic subspecies. The other three are naturalized aliens species that can be very invasive. The problem with this is that they can and often will hybridize with the native species jeopardizing the genetic integrity of them.
ʻElua wale nō kupukupu no Hawaiʻi nei. ʻO kēia ʻano kupukupu nei a ʻo Nephrolepis exaltata subsp. hawaiiensis. ʻO nā ʻano kupukupu ʻē aʻe, he kupukupu haole, a pilikia paha nā kupukupu Hawaiʻi i ka uluāhewa ʻana o kēia mau kupukupu haole.