Nototrichium sandwicense
Genus
Nototrichium
Species
sandwicense
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Kuluʻī
Hawaiian Names
- Kului
Common Names
- Hawaii rockwort
Synonyms
- Nototrichium fulvum
- Nototrichium viride
- Psilotrichum sandwicense
- Psilotrichum viride
- Ptilotus sandwicensis
Distribution Status
Endemic
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Shrub
- Tree
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
- Shrub, Small, 2 to 6
- Shrub, Medium, 6 to 10
- Shrub, Tall, Greater than 10
- Tree, Small, 15 to 30
Mature Size, Width
To over 20 feet.
Life Span
Long lived (Greater than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Accent
- Container
- Hedges
- Screening
Additional Landscape Use Information
Kuluī is beautiful as a single free forming, in clusters, or as a trimmed hedge. The downy floral displays are one of the nicest features of this shrub but the silvery foiliage will first catch the attention in the landscape. An excellent xeric or drought tolerant plant, use kuluī in a well drained sunny area. Very nice as a accent shrub with other native xeric trees and shrubs such as koaiʻa, wiliwili, naio, nāʻu, ʻaʻaliʻi,ʻūlei, ʻohe makai, lonomea (āulu) and mānele to name a few.
Kuluī may be grown as container plants in full sun with regular watering. [2]
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Type
Showy
Flower Colors
- Cream
- White
Plant texture
- Medium
Additional Plant Texture Information
Leaves are silky with a silverish gray color. They range between .5 and 5 inches long.
Leaf Colors
- Gray / Silverish
Additional Pest & Disease Information
Ants, scales, mealybugs, aphids, thrips
Fertilizer
Apply 13-13-13 slow release fertilize every six months. Foliar feeding in early morning with a water-soluble or an organic fertilizer (e.g. kelp or fish emulsion) at one-third to one-fourth the recommended strength every other month has proved beneficial.
Water Requirements
- Dry
Soil must be well drained
Yes
Light Conditions
- Full sun
- Partial sun
Tolerances
- Drought
Natural Range
- Niʻihau
- Kauaʻi
- Oʻahu
- Molokaʻi
- Lānaʻi
- Maui
- Kahoʻolawe
- Hawaiʻi
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
- Less than 150, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 150 to 1000, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 1000 to 1999, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 2000 to 2999, 0 to 50 (Dry)
Additional Habitat Information
Scattered to sometimes common in open dry forests, exposed ridges, and lava fields from sea level to 2,460 feet.
Special Features and Information
General Information
Kuluʻī belong to the Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae). Other native Hawaiian family members include five species of Charpentiera, a rare and little known amaranth (Amaranthus brownii) from Nīhoa, ʻāweoweo (Chenopodium oahuense), and three species of Achyranthes.
The name Nototrichium comes from the Latin nota, remarkable and tricho, hair, probably referring to the dense pubescence of the plants.
Etymology
The generic name Nototrichium comes from the Latin nota, remarkable and tricho, hair, probably referring to the dense pubescence of the plants.
The species name sandwicensis refers to the "Sandwich Islands," as the Hawaiian Islands were once called, and named by James Cook on one of his voyages in the 1770s. James Cook named the islands after John Montagu (The fourth Earl of Sandwich) for supporting Cook's voyages.
Early Hawaiian Use
Apparently the flowers and wood of kuluʻī were packed into a hallow stem such as bamboo (ʻohe), lit on fire and thrown from a particular cliff. The firey material would eject much is an aerial display much like modern-day fireworks. [1] Pāpala (Charpentiera spp.) were also used in a similar manner. (See Plant Profiles for Charpentiera)
Additional References
[1] "Amy Greenwell Garden Ethnobotanical Guide to Native Hawaiian Plants & Polynesian Introduced Plants" by Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, page 67.
[2] "Container Gardening in Hawaii" by Janice Crowl, page 52.
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