Cyanea angustifolia
Genus
Cyanea
Species
angustifolia
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Hāhā
Hawaiian Names
- Haha
Synonyms
- Delissea acuminata var. angustifolia
- Delissea angustifolia
- Delissea honoluluensis
- Lobelia angustifolia
Distribution Status
Endemic
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Shrub
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
- Shrub, Small, 2 to 6
- Shrub, Medium, 6 to 10
- Shrub, Tall, Greater than 10
Mature Size, Width
8 to 10+ feet.
Life Span
Long lived (Greater than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Accent
- Container
- Specimen Plant
Additional Landscape Use Information
Although still fairly common in its naturai habitat, this is one of the very few hāhā that may occasionally be seen in cultivation. They are rather easy to grow and maintain in a landscape and can be grown in containers, or as accent or specimen plants in the garden, as long as they are protected from slugs and snails. They do well indoors as potted plants with good lighting. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Colors
- Light Purple
- Pink
- Purple
- White
Additional Flower Color Information
The inflorescence are arranged in pendent (hanging) displays of 6-25 curved flowers. Purplish berries follow flowering.
Blooming Period
- Year Round
- Sporadic
Plant texture
- Coarse
Leaf Colors
- Light Green
- Medium Green
Additional Pest & Disease Information
In cultivation, red spider mites can become problematic. Slugs and snails relish hāhā and can girdle a plant in a single night and thus resulting in death of the plant. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Fertilizer
Foliar feeding with fish or kelp emulsion monthly or every other month is much appreciated by hāhā. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Pruning Information
None necessary ecept to remove spent leaves, flowers and fruit.
Water Requirements
- Moist
- Wet
Additional Water Information
This species seems to prefer moist or wet conditions in cultivation. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Soil must be well drained
Yes
Light Conditions
- Full sun
- Partial sun
Additional Lighting Information
Full sun in north and east locations; partial sun or some protection needed in south and west locations. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Soils
- Cinder
- Organic
Natural Range
- Oʻahu
- Molokaʻi
- Lānaʻi
- Maui
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
- Less than 150, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- Less than 150, Greater than 100 (Wet)
- 150 to 1000, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 150 to 1000, Greater than 100 (Wet)
- 1000 to 1999, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 1000 to 1999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
- 2000 to 2999, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 2000 to 2999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
Additional Habitat Information
This species grows from arounnd 150 to about 2500 feet in mesic forests and valleys to wet forests. Hāhā (Cyanea anugustifolia) is common in the Koʻolau Mountains, Oʻahu but rather scarce in the Waiʻanae Range (Oʻahu), and on eastern Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and northern West Maui.
Special Features and Information
General Information
Hāhā (Cyanea spp.) are members of the in the Bellflower family (Campanulaceae). Cyanea is an endemic genus of some 80 species with new species still being discovered.
Other kin include many endemic species in Brighamia, Clermontia, Delissea, Lobelia, and Trematolobelia--all but Lobelia are endemic genera!
Etymology
The generic name Cyanea is from the Greek, cyaneos, blue, referring to the supposedly blue flowers of the type species, Cyanea grimesiana, which in reality are white or to purplish.
The specific name angustifolia [angustifolius] means "narrow leaved."
Early Hawaiian Use
Leaves of this species (Cyanea angustifolia) as well as ʻakūʻakū (Cyanea platyphylla), now endangered, were wrapped in ti (kī) leaves, cooked in an ʻimu and eaten in times of food scarcity by early Hawaiians. [1,2,3]
Additional References
[1] "Plants in Hawaiian Culture" by Beatrice H. Krauss, pages 16, 323.
[2] "Arts and Crafts of Hawaii" by Te Rangi Hiroa (Sir Peter H. Buck), page 6.
[3] "Plants of Hawaii National Parks" by Otto Degener, page 288.
PHOTOS FOR THIS SPECIES CAN BE SEEN AT THE LINK (Copy & Paste to your browser):
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=50823119%40N08&sort=date-taken-desc&view_all=1&text=Cyanea%20angustifolia
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