’Ohelo belongs to a group of plants called pioneers. They are among the first to brave fresh lava flows where their small, stiff leaves are perfect for surviving a blazing sun. ‘Ohelo is distinguished for being associated with Pele whose territory it inhabits and for its luscious round berries. These berries, formed from bell-shaped flowers, turn red, orange, yellow and even blue and purple in higher elevations.
After a few hundred years, when bare lava has changed to woodland, its pioneer days are over, and our little guy takes up a more sociable role by living in community with other plants. His favorite friends are ‘a’ali’i and pukiawe. They can be easily found on the Mauna Loa strip road; and the higher up the road goes, the more these three amigos stick together. At the higher and colder elevations, ‘ohelo shows up by turning blue. The berries can turn blue and purple and the leaves take on a blue tinge. This is a notable variation to what we usually see.
There are three species of ‘ohelo, but in Volcano we only come across two. There is Vaccinium reticulatum, which is found in open forests and lava flows, and Vaccinium calycinum, otherwise known as ‘ohelo kau la’au or tree ‘ohelo. This name is very descriptive as it translates directly into “putting ‘ohelo onto a tree.” When the forest becomes crowded and shady, ‘ohelo begins to fade away and his cousin, tree ‘ohelo, appears. This shady cousin is not as remarkable looking as its sun-loving relative. Tree ‘ohelo tends to be spindly, its berries are not as tasty, and for part of the year all its leaves drop. But it must have its admirers in the bird world because it can be readily found all over our rain forest.
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