Polynesian Plants
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When the first Polynesians came to Hawaii, they brought with them the plants and animals they would need to make a start in the new world. In the park you can spot the shiny-leafed noni, with its pale yellow fruit. Noni was used to treat many different ailments. Also growing in the park is wauke, whose bark fibers were pounded into kapa (bark cloth). The coconut tree was also brought by the early Polynesian voyagers; however many growing in the park were not planted until recent times. |
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Did You Know?
Did you know that the coconut tree was an important resource in Hawai'i? It served as a source of food and water, material for building and rope making, and was made into drums. Cutting down the coconut grove of another person's was considered an act of war.