As our collective consciousness increases around the importance of growing more of our own food, we are finding ourselves looking at our landscape with an eye for utility as well as beauty. Of course, the best idea is to grow aesthetically pleasing plants that can also provide food or other useful material.
Many palm varieties offer edible fruit or plant parts as well as attractive form. Palms, which are often associated with sunny beaches and warm climates, definitely add a tropical note to your garden. If you are considering adding a palm, you may want to choose one with useful plant parts. To help expand the gene pool of native Hawaiian species, you might also want to consider one of our lovely native Pritchardia ,or loulu palms.
If you are looking among the Pritchardia genus for one with edible fruit, our native Kona species formerly identified as P. affinis is the one to choose. The name Pritchardia affinis identified the endemic Kona loulu for many years but recent discoveries have uncovered evidence that the same plant was previously classified at Pritchardia maideniana. This old name is now the accepted botanical name for this lovely palm. The common name for all native Hawaiian Pritchardia varieties is loulu.
P. maideniana is endemic to Kona, which means that it originated here and until its seeds or plants were transported elsewhere, it was not found anywhere else.
The maideniana has a distinct appearance among its fan palm relatives. It is a tall, very erect solitary palm with large leaves that are distinguished by their soft feathery tips. The only other Pritchardia with similar leaves is P. schattaueri, which is also an endemic Kona species.
Like other Pritchardia, P. maideniana produces creamy white flowers that develop into fruit. The fruit appears green and ripens to a brown or purplish-black. Unlike all other Pritchardia, the immature fruit of P. maideniana is edible and tasty. Hawaiians picked the green fruit and ate it fresh or used it to add a coconut flavor to their food. It is small with a single seed, making it easy to eat raw or prepare to add to other dishes.
Another desirable feature of this particular loulu is its ability to adapt to most microclimates here in Hawaii from sea level to 2,000 feet. At lower elevations, the trees seem to grow faster and the leaves become more gray-green compared to the darker green leaves on the mauka trees. P. maideniana trees are very adaptable. They can withstand some adversity including drought, wind and salt exposure and are long-lived here in their native environment. Though they are relatively slow growing, older specimens of 30 feet or more can be found.
Recently, local palm specialist Garrett Webb visited a site on Kahoe Ranch in South Kona to aid in the identification and protection of some older palms. Once at the site, he recognized the trees as ones pictured in a 1921 publication, “A Monographic Study of the Genus Pritchardia” by Beccari and Rock. The tallest in the group is now more than 50 feet tall. These specimens are now probably more than 100 years old. Another palm specialist, Donald Hodel, confirmed Garrett’s discovery based on his years in Kona studying Pritchardia. His book, “Loulu: The Hawaiian Palm” will be released by University of Hawaii Press this summer.
Both report finding records indicating the plants were grown to provide leaves for hats from the leaves as well as for their tasty seeds. The flavorful seeds have definitely played a part in their diminishing numbers. The seeds are a favored food of rats, which has limited the availability of seeds and led to the designation of P. maideniana as an endangered species.
Hodel estimates that over 50 percent of the native Pritchardia have disappeared since he began his studies in the 1970s. Development has taken a heavy toll on these palms. Realizing the threat that development poses to many native Hawaiian plants, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii is currently developing a protocol to increase new Pritchardia plantings and to raise awareness of the historical and cultural importance of these and other native plants. You can learn more about them at landscapehawaii.org.
The best way to propagate more of this endangered species is to collect and save the ripe fruit from your own plant. Collecting seeds of endangered plants from the wild is illegal. Once harvested, clean the seeds. The clean seeds can be stored in the refrigerator, but should be planted soon after collection. You can also store the seeds in a plastic baggie with damp peat moss and they will eventually sprout. Patience is required in Pritchardia propagation. The seeds may take 2 or 3 months to germinate, and they may spend up to two years as small seedlings before beginning to grow into mature plants.
Though this and other Pritchardia are susceptible to most of the insects and diseases that attack other palms, identification of the pest is essential to effective treatment. Optimal growing conditions and good cultural practices go a long way toward preventing pest problems.
P. maideniana grows best in the full sun and well-drained soil Kona offers. Regular fertilizing with a balanced product containing minor elements will satisfy their minimal requirements. Pruning the older leaves is optional. Left in place they form an attractive ‘skirt’ around the trunk
Specimens of P. maideniana are not widely available, but are worth seeking for their appearance, their usefulness and their adaptability to our local environment.