In the Garden
Pa‘u o hi‘iaka
(The skirt of Hi‘iaka)
HUI KU MAOLI OLA Jaquemontia ovalifolia subsp. sandwicense
Pa'u o Hi'iaka means "skirt of Hi'iaka," younger sister of Pele, the fire goddess. The plant gets this name from a story about Hi'iaka waiting on the beach for Pele, who is out surfing.When Pele returns, she finds that her younger sister is draped with a vine for protection from the sun.
Description: Prostrate strand plants with small, alternating leaves that are light to dark green. Delicate flowers about 1 inch in diameter emerge from the leaf axis and range in color from lavender to white. They often look like vines crawling on the ground but can become quite thick in some areas. In dry regions the stems may be covered with fuzzy soft hair which helps them adapt to harsh conditions.
Distribution: This endemic subspecies is found throughout the Hawaiian islands on rocky coastal sites, coexisting with other native strand flora such as ilima papa, nehe, hinahina and alena.
Cultural uses: Leaves of pa'u o Hi'iaka were commonly used to treat babies with thrush.
The vinelike runners were braided and used as makeshift lashing when other fibers were not available.
Landscape use and care: This is a great plant to use as a ground cover in places that are extremely dry and hot. Plant them about a foot apart; they will fill in the space for a full look.
Soak the ground every other day initially, then slowly taper off. Depending on how large the planting area is, hundreds, if not thousands, of flowers appear when in the plant is in bloom, which is normally constant after the vine becomes established and watering is reduced.
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