ʻUhiʻuhi Caesalpinia kawaiensis/Mezoneuron kavaiense 🌱 Federally endangered with less than 50 individuals in the wild 🌱 Member of the pea family 🌱 Wood is extremely hard, durable, and dense, sinks in seawater 🌱 Early Hawaiians used ʻuhiʻuhi wood for many different things from war clubs and kapa beaters to heʻe (octopus) spears and makau manō (shark hooks). It was also a good wood for hale (house) posts and rafters 🛷 Used to make sled runners for the sacred sport of hōlua or heʻe hōlua (mountain sledding, lava sledding) played during Makahiki season - Only for aliʻi (chiefs/chiefesses) and akua (gods/goddesses) - Sleds were typically ridden lying chest down or crouching. Only the most skilled and courageous did it standing - Sleds were 6” (15.2 cm) wide and could be up to 14 ft (4.3 m) long, weigh up to 50 lbs. (22.7 kg) & reach speeds of up to 60 mph (96.6 kmh) #UhiUhi #CaesalpiniaKawaiensis #MezoneuronKawaiense #NativeHawaiianPlants #EndemicHawaiianPlants #FederallyListedEndangered #ManoaHeritageCenter #ManoaValley #FlowerFriday #Friday Flower #Hōlua #HeeHōlua #LavaSledding #HawaiianWarClub #KapaBeater

Join us for our first Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke workshop of 2022 to learn about ʻōhiʻa propagation with JC Watson of @ohialegacy See info above and register at the link in our bio! *Limited to 10 participants #ManoaHeritageCenter #ManoaValley #MaKaHanaKaIkeWorkshops #ŌhiaPropagation #ŌhiaLehua #NativeHawaiianPlants

The ʻaʻaliʻi behind our classroom is in bloom with both male (1-2) and female (3-4) flowers! ʻAʻaliʻi flowers are small and not very showy. What you’d normally see on an ʻaʻaliʻi bush/tree are the fruit capsules (5). This indigenous plant is known for its strong wood and for seldom breaking or falling over. There are several ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverbs) that allude to the strength of the ʻaʻaliʻi, such as: He ʻaʻaliʻi ku makani mai au; ʻaʻohe makani nana e kulaʻi I am a wind-resisting ʻaʻaliʻi; no gale can push me over (ʻŌlelo noʻeau #507) #FridayFlower #FlowerFriday #ManoaHeritageCenter #ManoaValley #NativeHawaiianPlants #Aalii #DodoneaViscosa #AaliiKuMakani #MaryKawenaPukui #ŌleloNoeau #HawaiianProverbs #MacroHawaii #MacroPhotography

If anyone is interested, Ron Williams, Jr. PhD will be giving a presentation tonight, Thursday January 13, via Zoom on the life and legacy of Iosepa Nāwahī a trusted advisor of Queen Liliʻokalani during the last months of the Hawaiian monarchy who worked tirelessly to stop annexation and restore Hawaiʻi’s independence as a nation. Registration is not necessary. Join via the link on slide 2. #ZoomPresentation #IosepaNāwahī

Join us on Thursday, January 20 for our first Virtual Kahaukani Conversation of 2022. Puanani "Nani" Anderson-Fung, an ethnobotanist of Hawaiian and European descent currently pursuing a graduate degree in the Botany department at UH Mānoa, will share a presentation entitled: "You can learn a lot from a plant name — in this case, Hawaiian laua‘e." This presentation is intended to be a fun, fast-paced story of how faith in the synergism of indigenous and global plant science, allowed Nani to solve the mystery of the Hawaiian plant name laua‘e — by showing that it actually names two very different fragrant fern species— and how this led her on a journey across Polynesia, tracing the genealogy of this name, which begins as a name for aromatic trees, that began in Tonga and spread throughout Polynesia! If you love detective mysteries, historical intrigue, Polynesian migration theories, or the plants, languages, culture, or history of Polynesia—this talk will keep you entertained. Register at bit.ly/mhclauae or click the link in our bio! #KahaukaniConversations #VirtualKahaukaniConversations #ManoaHeritageCenter #ManoaValley #HawaiianLauae #NativeHawaiianFern

Our first in person workshop for 2022 has been postponed until further notice due to the high number of COVID cases. A new date is TBD. Mahalo for your understanding~ Stay safe everyone 💚

‼️ DUE TO RECENT HIGH COVID CASE NUMBERS THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN POSTPONED. NEW DATE IS TBD. MAHALO FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING. Our first Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke Workshop of 2022 is coming up. Join us for a special collaborative workshop to celebrate the New Year. Using foliage from the Mānoa Heritage Center native garden, learn to create a one-of-a-kind arrangement. Kai Nainoa of @gentlebeast_hi will teach participants how to use plants they have on hand as ingredients for a beautiful arrangement to accent the home environment. Then, join Private Chef Sayuri @leai.space to transform traditional Japanese ingredients into edible works of art. Register at the link in our bio! *Please do note that if case numbers continue to rise this workshop may be postponed. #ManoaHeritageCenter #ManoaValley #MaKaHanaKaIkeWorkshops #GentleBeastFloral #PuaMusubi #LearnByDoing

Rainy Tuesday Garden views 🌧🌱 ʻAwa flower Comfrey with pollinators 🐝🦋 Flower buds on the Bonamia Incoming flowers on one of our ʻōhiʻa ʻai Flowering alaheʻe tree ʻIlima pua Hinahina Kū Kahakai Naupaka Kuahiwi (mountain naupaka) flower Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season! 🎄Mele Kalikimaka!!! ❤️💚 #ManoaHeritageCenter #ManoaValley #NativeHawaiianPlants #EndemicHawaiianPlants #IndigenousHawaiianPlants #LaauLapaauPlants #HappyHolidays #PolynesianCanoePlants

Our first butterfly pea flower in the Elpidio and Nobuko Acopan Garden!! So beautiful!! 🦋 Butterfly pea (Ilokano = Samsamping, Tagalog = Pukinggan) Scientific name: Clitoria ternatea - Used in Filipino herbal medicine (butterfly pea is good for the skin, tea made from flowers helps with overall well-being, roots and seeds are used as a diuretic) - Flowers are dried and made into teas (color changes from blue to purple when an acidic fruit such as lemon or lilikoi is added) - Flowers are used as a natural food coloring in various cultures #ElpidioAndNobukoAcopanGarden #FilipinoGarden #ButterflyPea #ClitoriaTenatea #Samsamping #Pukinggan #FilipinoPlantMedicine #FilipinoPlants #FridayFlower #FlowerFriday