Hoi kuahiwi is classified as a liana, which is a climbing, woody vine. The tiny tendrils of this endemic plant wrap around other plants, looking for a foothold to find the sun. If you see a plant trying to climb up a tree fern, it could be hoi kuahiwi. Climbing a tree fern is, of course, problematic as the fronds fall after a few years, so one often sees hoi kuahiwi sprawling on the forest floor.
The Hawaiian name means mountain yam. Although the leaf shape resembles a yam leaf, they are not related. It is said the early Hawaiians used hoi kuahiwi’s tubers as a famine food, so perhaps the name comes from that connection. Its scientific name is Smilax melastomifolia. The leaves are always shiny and stiff but can vary in shape. I usually see them as heart-shaped. When small, they are as cute as a button.
The berries of hoi kuahiwi are round and greenish and turn white when ripening. The trick to growing hoi kuahiwi is finding those berries, as they are not commonly seen. This plant’s greenish-white flowers are either male or female, so a mate can be difficult to come across. A horticulturalist may arrange a marriage, but the wild plants are at the whims of Mother Nature. Even when those fruits are spotted, they seem to take months to ripen. So, if you ever come across the ripe fruits of hoi kuahiwi, know that your ship has come in.
Comments