Ulu Lehulehu

The ʻōhiʻa lehua is by far the most bioculturally important tree species in Hawaiʻi. The ʻōhiʻa is truly the ecological keystone of Hawaiʻi’s native forests and watersheds, covering more than one million acres statewide, and providing habitat for countless other native species of plants, birds and insects. The ʻōhiʻa is also the cultural keystone for native Hawaiian people, supporting beliefs and traditional lifeways and practices. The relationship between Pele, the deity of fire and lava who is both a destroyer and creator of land, with her youngest and most cherished sister, Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, a healer and nurturer of new growth, is one of cycles and a system in balance.The ʻōhiʻa emerging from a fresh lava flow is perhaps the most iconic representation of the ʻōhiʻa relationships with Hawaiʻi and her people.

ʻŌhiʻa lehua is critical to maintaining the diversity, structure, and function of Hawaiʻi’s native forests. This ecological foundation provides food and habitat to numerous native plant, animal, and invertebrate species, and also affects our watersheds by capturing water, reducing erosion and sediment runoff into our streams and reefs, and providing countless goods and services to the people of Hawaiʻi.

Pōki'i ka ua, ua i ka lehua...the rain, like a younger brother, remains with the lehua

– Mary Kawena Pukui, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau

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Native Hawaiians hold the ʻōhiʻa as a cherished family member, and the sacred relationship between people and species is seen throughout native Hawaiian culture. ʻŌhiʻa forests have been treasured by native Hawaiians as the foundation for hula where liko (tender leaves) and lehua blossoms are used to adorn dancers with the bodily manifestation of Hawaiian gods of the forest. The ʻōhiʻa also supports the culture with countless uses, including wood for construction and various parts of the plant for medicine and craft. The many roles played by ʻōhiʻa in society has been captured in moʻolelo (stories), inoa wahipana (place names), oli (chants), mele (songs), hula (dance), and ʻōlelo noʻeau (traditional sayings), all celebrating the enormous value of this species to Hawaiʻi and her people.

The ʻōhiʻa has been steadily disappearing from our landscapes becauses of changes in land-use such as development or agricultural driven deforestation, spread of aggressive invasive species, and and diseases such as ʻōhiʻa rust (Puccinia). Recently, Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD), a highly severe vascular wilt fungus (Ceratocystis), has become a devastating disease that kills ʻōhiʻa. The disease is spreading rapidly across Hawaiʻi Island, and a diverse partnership has mobilized to meet this new threat ( www.rapidohiadeath.org) through outreach to reduce the spread of the disease, research on disease resistance, and rapid response to contain new outbreaks. In the face of these threats, The Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests is supporting biocultural strategies for protecting, and where needed, restoring our ʻōhiʻa forests, with the goal of perpetuating our ʻōhiʻa forests.