The ‘ōhi‘a lehua is the little tree that could. A hearty evergreen in the myrtle family, ‘ōhi‘a has adapted to a variety of environmental conditions in her homeland of Hawai‘i and thrives both at sea level and in cloud forests. She might appear as a slight shrub stretching up from newly hardened lava, unfazed by volcanic gases, or as an impressive mess of twisted branches reaching 100 feet tall in the misty lushness of the rainforest. Her spirited pompom-like lehua blossoms—fiery red, ivory, yellow, orange, and salmon—are revered by hula hālau, lei makers, and Dr. Seuss fans alike.
‘Ōhi‘a is a keystone species of the Hawaiian forest, which means that once it begins to grow and form a canopy, other flora and fauna follow. Endemic to Hawai‘i, the trees provide shelter, habitat, and sustenance for many native species, including endangered birds like the ‘apapane and the ‘i‘iwi and Hawai‘i’s only terrestrial mammal, the ‘ōpe‘ape‘a, or Hawaiian hoary bat. ‘Ōhi‘a are also paramount in replenishing island aquifers through fog interception; adorned with moss and ferns, her leaves and branches capture the surrounding mist and then send the moisture down to nourish the soil and living things within it. “The native forest is better at soaking up the rainwater than any invasive one,” says JC Watson, president of ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative, “so you might say our drinking water is only as healthy as our ‘ōhi‘a trees.”
Driving around his O‘ahu neighborhood of Mānoa Valley in 2014, Watson laid eyes on a single, beautiful ‘ōhi‘a and wondered why there were no others around. Urban sprawl was to blame, he reasoned. After visiting a plant sale only to find even the smallest trees listed at enormous prices, the idea hit: He would start an organization dedicated to growing and giving away ‘ōhi‘a. Watson assembled a board of directors for ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative and partnered with the preservation group Mālama Mānoa to pilot the Mānoa Urban ‘Ōhi‘a Project, a concerted effort to help homeowners plant 350 young trees. This effort ended up quadrupling the valley’s ‘ōhi‘a population. To date, ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative has established nurseries in Mānoa and Makiki, created an online inventory database to track the expansion of the trees, and shared around a half million seeds with the community during propagation demonstrations.
On top of the dwindling numbers in developed areas, ‘ōhi‘a in every district on Hawai‘i Island and parts of Kaua‘i are fighting a fatal fungus known as “Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death.” The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has established a working group uniting partners on all islands for outreach efforts. Though rapid ‘ōhi‘a death has not been detected on O‘ahu, other threats persist, like ‘ōhi‘a rust, a red fungus that attacks the tree’s leaves. According to Watson, rule number one for disease prevention is to not harm the trees in the first place. “Research has shown that Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death enters ‘ōhi‘a through a wound,” he explains, “and weak or injured ones are more susceptible to other disease, too.”
To promote what they’re calling “rapid ‘ōhi‘a life,” volunteers with ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative teach ‘ōhi‘a-caretaking classes to students in schools around the state and grow propagations from seed instead of taking cuttings from existing trees, ensuring a robust and genetically diverse population. Individuals and community groups can also get involved with ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative’s efforts by joining a waiting list for hosting new trees, offering to fund group plantings in specific locales, or sponsoring workshops or tree giveaways.
In Hawaiian mo‘olelo (stories), ‘ōhi‘a is often described as a sacred plant of Pele, the volcano goddess, and sometimes the tree appears as a physical manifestation of Kū, the god of war, or Laka, the goddess of hula. In traditional society, the tree’s flowers were used for lei, her leaves for tea, and her rigid wood for tools, weapons, and ki‘i (deity sculptures). But to think of ‘ōhi‘a lehua simply as a plant of value in Hawai‘i’s ecosystem would be a mistake. “In a nature-based culture, you can’t separate the land from its inhabitants,” Watson says. “‘Ōhi‘a is Hawai‘i. And the people who are caring for these plants in their own backyards, these are the unsung heroes.”
Admired for its red blossoms, ‘ōhi‘a can bloom in a variety of colors. It is famous in song and tale.
The ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative has revitalized a plant in danger of disappearing. Their efforts quadrupled the ‘ōhi‘a population in Mānoa Valley alone.
The lehua is the flower of the island of Hawai‘i, as designated in 1923 by the Territorial legislature.
“‘Ōhi‘a is Hawai‘i. And the people who are caring for these plants in their own backyards, these are the unsung heroes.” — JC Watson, President of ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative
The ‘ōhi‘a lehua is the little tree that could. A hearty evergreen in the myrtle family, ‘ōhi‘a has adapted to a variety of environmental conditions in her homeland of Hawai‘i and thrives both at sea level and in cloud forests. She might appear as a slight shrub stretching up from newly hardened lava, unfazed by volcanic gases, or as an impressive mess of twisted branches reaching 100 feet tall in the misty lushness of the rainforest. Her spirited pompom-like lehua blossoms—fiery red, ivory, yellow, orange, and salmon—are revered by hula hālau, lei makers, and Dr. Seuss fans alike.
‘Ōhi‘a is a keystone species of the Hawaiian forest, which means that once it begins to grow and form a canopy, other flora and fauna follow. Endemic to Hawai‘i, the trees provide shelter, habitat, and sustenance for many native species, including endangered birds like the ‘apapane and the ‘i‘iwi and Hawai‘i’s only terrestrial mammal, the ‘ōpe‘ape‘a, or Hawaiian hoary bat. ‘Ōhi‘a are also paramount in replenishing island aquifers through fog interception; adorned with moss and ferns, her leaves and branches capture the surrounding mist and then send the moisture down to nourish the soil and living things within it. “The native forest is better at soaking up the rainwater than any invasive one,” says JC Watson, president of ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative, “so you might say our drinking water is only as healthy as our ‘ōhi‘a trees.”
Driving around his O‘ahu neighborhood of Mānoa Valley in 2014, Watson laid eyes on a single, beautiful ‘ōhi‘a and wondered why there were no others around. Urban sprawl was to blame, he reasoned. After visiting a plant sale only to find even the smallest trees listed at enormous prices, the idea hit: He would start an organization dedicated to growing and giving away ‘ōhi‘a. Watson assembled a board of directors for ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative and partnered with the preservation group Mālama Mānoa to pilot the Mānoa Urban ‘Ōhi‘a Project, a concerted effort to help homeowners plant 350 young trees. This effort ended up quadrupling the valley’s ‘ōhi‘a population. To date, ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative has established nurseries in Mānoa and Makiki, created an online inventory database to track the expansion of the trees, and shared around a half million seeds with the community during propagation demonstrations.
On top of the dwindling numbers in developed areas, ‘ōhi‘a in every district on Hawai‘i Island and parts of Kaua‘i are fighting a fatal fungus known as “Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death.” The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has established a working group uniting partners on all islands for outreach efforts. Though rapid ‘ōhi‘a death has not been detected on O‘ahu, other threats persist, like ‘ōhi‘a rust, a red fungus that attacks the tree’s leaves. According to Watson, rule number one for disease prevention is to not harm the trees in the first place. “Research has shown that Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death enters ‘ōhi‘a through a wound,” he explains, “and weak or injured ones are more susceptible to other disease, too.”
To promote what they’re calling “rapid ‘ōhi‘a life,” volunteers with ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative teach ‘ōhi‘a-caretaking classes to students in schools around the state and grow propagations from seed instead of taking cuttings from existing trees, ensuring a robust and genetically diverse population. Individuals and community groups can also get involved with ‘Ōhi‘a Legacy Initiative’s efforts by joining a waiting list for hosting new trees, offering to fund group plantings in specific locales, or sponsoring workshops or tree giveaways.
In Hawaiian mo‘olelo (stories), ‘ōhi‘a is often described as a sacred plant of Pele, the volcano goddess, and sometimes the tree appears as a physical manifestation of Kū, the god of war, or Laka, the goddess of hula. In traditional society, the tree’s flowers were used for lei, her leaves for tea, and her rigid wood for tools, weapons, and ki‘i (deity sculptures). But to think of ‘ōhi‘a lehua simply as a plant of value in Hawai‘i’s ecosystem would be a mistake. “In a nature-based culture, you can’t separate the land from its inhabitants,” Watson says. “‘Ōhi‘a is Hawai‘i. And the people who are caring for these plants in their own backyards, these are the unsung heroes.”
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