Scientific Name: Cibotium glaucum
Endemic: All HI
Description: Beautiful tree ferns with large fronds that have bluish green undersides and soft “pulu” at the base of the fronds and on new frond fiddle heads.
Distribution: Hapuu are found on all of the main islands except for Kahoolawe where it was probably found in the past in wet forests.
Landscape Use and Care: If you have a lot of rain then this is the plant for you, it rocks! If not then definitely consider moving to a rainy place, learning a rain dance or installing some good irrigation that goes off pretty regularly. Ideally its best to water both the fronds as well as the apex of the fern where all the new shoots emerge. That being said its pretty easy to grow, you don’t have to do much but be patient since this fern grows really slow. Also, leave room for this plant to grow since its fronds can reach out over 10 ft.
Cultural Uses: The starch within the trunk was cooked and eaten in times of famine while the pulu is used in burial ceremonies and to aid in cleaning out digestive tracts.
Additional Info: The hapu’u is often referred to as the mother of the forest since the seeds and spores of many other native plants will germinate, grow and possibly take over the hapu’u.
Hapuu