Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 3, 1 March 2022 — E Ola Koa! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

E Ola Koa!

<NĀ MEAKANU 'ĀPA'AKUMA O HAWAI'I NEI < ENDEMIC PLANTS OF HAWAI'I r

By Bobby Camara

"E ola koa; Live like a koa tree." Live a long time, like a koa tree in theforest. - 'Ōlelo No'eau 365

(Left) Leaves on o voung koo tree. (Center) Koa seeds. (Right) Phyllodes (flottened leaf stems) on o mature leoa tree. - Photos: Bobby Camara

Koa are among our most massive trees, growing from near sea level up to an elevation of about 6,000 feet. In the pea family, koa are endemic (only found in Hawai'i nei). . Fleets of wa'a were constructed of koa, with hulls of single logs or of planks "sewn" together. Sadly, eanoe trees these days are rare because of logging and habitat destruction. Koa "leaves" are actually flattened petioles (leaf stems) called phyllodes. True leaves are small and may help young trees grow better in shade, while phyllodes may be better when conditions are drier or sunlight more intense. ■

Close-up of the pua koa. - Pboto: Alan Cressler