Naio
Myoporum sandwicense
Depending on which island you are on or perhaps more specifically which part of the island you are on, naio can take the form of a prostrate ground cover, such as naio papa at South Point on the island of Hawii; or fairly large shrub (about 8-10 ft tall) as in other coastal localities on most islands including the Pohakuloa region again on the island of Hawai’I or a 50-80 ft tall tree like those in the upper dry forests and subalpine regions of Maui and Hawaiʻi. All of these forms will usually have glossy dark green, glabrous leaves which are anywhere from 1-8 inches long and about 1-2 inches wide. I say usually because there is also an endangered subspecies of this plant that is found on O’ahu (M. sandwicense sub sp. stellatum) that has smaller leaves that are covered in tiny tan colored hairs that make it seem almost velvet like in appearance. However all plants will have small, whitish-pink flowers about a half an inch in diameter that emit a spicy-sandalwood like fragrance. Once pollinated the flowers develop in to small fleshy white fruit of about the same size containing a single hard seed.
ʻOkoʻa kekahi ʻano naio, a ʻokoʻa hoʻi kekahi ʻano naio. Kolo kekahi ʻano naio, e laʻa ka naio o Kalae, ma Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi, a ulu pūnohunohu (ʻewalu a ʻumi kapuaʻi) ma nā ʻāina pili kai, e laʻa ʻo Pōhakuloa, Hawaiʻi. ʻO kekahi ʻano naio, ulu kiʻekiʻe loa (kanalima a kanawalu kapuaʻi), e laʻa ka naio o ka wao ʻeiwa o ka mokupuni o Maui me Hawaiʻi. He mau lau uliuli hinuhinu ka hapa nui o nā naio, akā he naio ʻāpaʻakuma ko Oʻahu (M. sandwicense subsp. stellatum) nona ka lau liʻiliʻi i uhi ʻia i nā heu ʻula. He mau pua keʻokeʻo liʻiliʻi ko nā ʻano naio a pau, a kohu ʻaʻala pua ʻiliahi. He hua keʻokeʻo liʻiliʻi a hoʻokahi ʻanoʻano o loko.
This is an indigenous plant found in the coastal dry forest up to the sub-alpine dry forest on all the main islands except never recorded from Kaho’olawe. On O’ahu this plant is primarily found around Ka’iwi (Allen Davis), Ka’ena, as well as at Kalaeloa (Barber’s Point) where that endangered, endemic subspecies mentioned above is located.
Ulu ka naio ma kahakai a hiki i ka wao ʻeiwa o nā mokupuni nui a pau. ʻAʻole naʻe paha i ulu ma Kahoʻolawe. Ma Oʻahu, ulu nui ka naio ma kahi o Kaiwi (Makapuʻu), Kaʻena, a ma Kalaeloa, ʻo ia kahi e ulu ai ka naio ʻāpaʻakuma.
The hard wood of this plant is used in the construction of houses, spears and other smaller utensils.
Hoʻohana ʻia ka lāʻau no ke kūkulu hale, ka ihe, a me nā pono hana liʻiliʻi.
This extremely hardy plant thrives in full sun with minimal watering. It does well as a specimen plant or as a medium sized hedge and looks really nice especially with its dark green leaves. Few pests bother this plant so pesticide application is usually not necessary. Naio is also used in soil bioremediation since studies have shown it to remove and breakdown petroleum based substances in the ground. It amazes me that this plant isn’t used more in landscapes especially for its striking foliage and screening capabilities.
E kanu i ka naio i kahi e pā nui ai ka lā. ʻAʻole pono ka wai he nui. Hiki ke kanu hoʻokahi a kanu paha i pā naio. ʻAʻole nui nā mū e pilikia ai ka naio. He lāʻau nō ia e hoʻoponopono i ka lepo i haumia i ke kakolina.
This plant is also known as bastard sandalwood since it was used to fill orders of sandalwood to the orient when sandalwood became scarce. Its fragrance resembles the scent of sandalwood when the tree is cut or burned, however it doesn’t retain the scent as long as normal sandalwood.
Kapa ʻia hoʻi ka naio ʻo “bastard sandalwood” ma ka ʻōlelo Pelekania, ʻoiai, he pani hakahaka ka naio ke loaʻa ʻole ka ʻilahi. Kohu like ke ʻala o ka naio me ke ʻala o ka ʻiliahi, akā, ʻaʻole nō lōʻihi ka wā e ʻaʻala ai ka lāʻau o ka naio.