Division of Forestry and Wildlife: Forestry Program | Hau
Hau grows to heights of 4 to 10 m (13 to 33 ft) with a trunk up to 15 cm (5.9 in) in diameter (Little and Roger, 1989). Early Hawaiians used the wood of this species to build the outriggers of canoes, floats for fish nets, long spears for games, and for the cross sticks of kites.
Ethnobotany of the Ahupua`a: Fiber - Kapiolani Community College
Feb 27, 2023 · Hau yields a light-weight, tough white wood that was highly valued in traditional Hawaii. To cut the tree, a permission from the village chief was necessary. The hau branches were piled on the shoreline to indicate a fishing kapu, especially when spawning was …
Hawaiians used the wood for outriggers of canoes, floats for fish nets, long spears for games, and for cross sticks of kites. Fires were started by friction by rubbing a pointed stick of a hardwood such as olomea (Perrottetia sandwicensis), against a grooved piece of the much softer hau wood.
Hau (Hibiscus tileaceus) - Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
Translation: The hau-leaf tearing wind of Olowalu. Meaning: A gusty wind. Notes: Hau is an amazingly useful plant. Its fibers were made into cordage (rope), which was used in almost every facet of life in early Hawai‘i. The light wood was fashioned into spars for outrigger canoes and floats for fishnets.
Ethnobotany Database - Bishop Museum
Hawaiian Name(s): hau, hau ka‘eka‘e Scientific Name: Hibiscus tiliaceus Vernacular Name: none Family: Malvaceae Status: indigenous? Authority: L. Description: Shrubs to small trees. Habitat Commonly occurring along coasts, streams, and other wet areas to 300 m on most main islands and some NWHI (Wagner et al. 1990:888)
Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai`i: HAU
Seeds and cuttings of hau were brought by early Polynesian voyagers to Hawai`i Nei, and planted by the settlers to yield a light-weight tough white wood with a brown heart. Hau is found and used throughout tropical and subtropical Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia and is held in high regard for its usefulness to the traditional life of ...
Hau - Manoa Heritage Center
The highly valued hau is very useful – wood is used for making buoyant canoe parts, fish floats, lightweight tools, and weapons. Hau cordage (ʻili hau) is made from the inner bark while flowers are used for laxative properties. Hau is seen as the visible form of Mānoa wind.
Native Hawaiian Garden (7722) - Hao
Hao is an attractive tree with shiny light green leaves with a yellow midrib. The bark is nearly white and as it gets older acquires a bumpy texture. Hao are not very big. For the first ten years, you can expect them to be less than 15 feet tall. Old trees may be about 30 feet in height.
Hau/Hibiscus Wood Lidded Vessel/Puahala - Maui Hands
One hand-turned hau wood lidded vessel aka puahala. One of a kind! The hau tree, a type of hibiscus, grows on all of Hawaiʻi’s inhabited islands. Widely distributed throughout the Pacific, it is not native to Hawaiʻi and was introduced by Polynesians.
Hau Lovely! | Hau Hawaiian Plant | Hibiscus tiliaceus - Maui No …
Sep 1, 2010 · Braided cordage made from hau bark was a staple in old Hawai‘i, used to craft everything from sandals and basket handles to shark snares. Hau wood is buoyant, and seafarers sought out large branches to carve into canoe ama (outriggers) and fishing-tackle boxes. Weavers favored slender branches with few knots, which they stripped and soaked in ...