Plants of Old Hawai'i

This year we're learning more about ethnobotany, or "the study of how people use plants in different cultures, regions, and time periods", with special focus on plants that are used for dyeing and embellishing fabric and basketry. This time our book is Plants of Old Hawai'i, by educator Lois Lucas (Bess Press, Honolulu, 1982). The book describes the twenty major plants that the original Hawaiians brought with them from the South Pacific, when they settled in the Hawaiian Islands around 450 CE.  

Plants of Old Hawai'i grew out of Lucas's many years of teaching Hawaiian culture, history, and botany to elementary school children, and her experience planning and cultivating native plants at the Hawaiian Garden at Punahou. Fellow educators also contributed to the book—Joan Fleming provided illustrations of the plants, proverbs, and legends associated with the plants,  and Julie Williams provided poems that incorporate factual information. The book is easy to read, since it is pitched for middle-elementary school children, but I found it a charming and informative introduction to the non-native plants that we now associate with Hawai'i. 

The introduction provides context for the topic, describing that the book is to teach the science of botany, but also to introduce the student to Hawaiian culture. The bulk of the book is devoted to chapters for each of the twenty plants presented in alphabetical order, such as Arrowroot, Banana, Coconut, Sugar Cane, and Taro. The typical chapter provides the common and Hawaiian names, habitat, description, poem, a line drawing of the plant (and its stem, leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots), uses, and legends, proverbs, and riddles. The back matter includes sections on Resources for Teachers, Resources for Children, Diacritical Markings, and a Glossary. An index is not provided.

I am especially interested in Hawaiian plants that can be used for dyeing, basketry, and kapa (bark cloth) making. (After some preliminary research, I'm adding kapa to my list)! Dye plants include Candlenut, Indian Mulberry, True Kou, Milo, and Turmeric. Basketry plants include Coconut, Bottle Gourd, Hau, and Paper Mulberry (fibers may be used for creating rope, strainers, nets, containers, and so forth). Kapa-making and decorating-related plants include Bamboo, Banana, Hau, and Paper Mulberry. I found this book to be a great kick-off to my next Ethnobotany project, Kanaka Maoli/Polynesian plants. I recommend the book for kids and adults alike!