In The Garden Guest Writers

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Shrub bears tasty berries

Description: Small shrubs 3 to 4 feet tall with stiff aerial roots and rounded leaves, usually with many tiny serrations on the margins. Leaves are generally pale green with reddish-pink margins. The flowers are tubular and generally dark red, but sometimes light pink, green or even yellow. Once in a while you can find a single flower with all these colors, fading from dark red to green tips. This plant is famous for its berries, which are generally bright red, although colors can include yellow, purplish-red, orange, pink or even black.

HUI KU MAOLI OLA

The plant is highly variable, so characteristics such as pubescence (soft down that covers the surface of may plants) and serration of the leaves -- as well as the color, size and shape of flowers and fruit -- can be quite different, especially between populations on different islands. Variations are so great that some plants have been separated into different species.

Distribution: V. reticulatum is found predominantly in the higher sub-alpine and alpine shrub land of Maui and the Big Island, from around 2,000-foot elevations to well above 10,000-foot elevations. It is also found on new lava flows and cinder cones. Occasionally it can be seen on Kauai, Oahu and Molokai, but different native species of 'ohelo are more common on those islands.

Cultural uses: This is one of the few plants native to Hawaii that produces palatable fruit -- in fact, another name for this plant is 'ohelo 'ai, or "edible 'ohelo." The berries may be eaten raw but are used more often to make tangy jams, jellies and onolicious pies. The plants are also used as offerings to Pele; fruiting branches are thrown into Kilauea crater. 'Ohelo is not found near the crater, so these branches must be carried great distances. It is also common when eating 'ohelo to offer the first berry to Pele by throwing it in the general direction of Kilauea, regardless of what island you are on.

The flowers' nectar serves as food for Hawaiian honey creepers such as 'amakihi and 'i'iwi, while the fruit is a favorite food of the nene goose. The flowers and fruit are also used in lei making.

Landscape use and care: Unless you live in Volcano on the Big Island or in Upcountry Maui, the chances of your having 'ohelo are slim. We were able to grow it at our nursery, but the plants are very sensitive to water and light. We did get the plants to flower and fruit, but we only got enough berries to make a tiny amount of jelly -- perhaps enough to fill one of those packets you'd get when ordering toast at restaurants.

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