Native Hawaiian Plant Garden at Kapalua Plantation Course

I wasn’t able to make it to the Maui Nuei Botanical Gardens on Maui so I was thrilled to see Native Hawaiian plants in front of the Kapalua Plantation Course building. This small garden had a lot of plants:

Ape
Kalo/Taro
Awa/Kava/Kavakava
Ahinahina
Mamaki
Ahu’awa

It reminded me of a childhood favorite picture book sent to me by relatives in Hawaii that featured Native Hawaiian plants:

Pua Pua Lena Lena and the Magic Kiha-pu by Guy & Pam Buffet, illustrated by Guy Buffet

Pua Pua Lena Lena, a kind of magical dog who lives in Waipi’o Valley on the Island of Hawaii, is tasked with retrieving the kiha pu, a conch shell that sounds an alarm if an enemy is approaching the kingdom, from spirits who have stolen it. This is his punishment for accidentally stealing plants from the Royal Garden in order to make awa tea for his master. Awa, or Kava, or Kavakava is a Native Hawaiian plant, used principally as a sedative to induce relaxation and sleep. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

p.s. Related posts:

33 Children’s Books About Hawaii

Food for the Future: Salt Makers in Hawaii

Place of Refuge in Hawaii: Learning about Native Hawaiian Culture

A Tropical Culinary Garden in Hawaii

14 Picture Books to Inspire Foraging

Edible Plants & Foraging In My Neighborhood

My Urban Foraging Class

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