Polyscias sandwicensis
Genus
Polyscias
Species
sandwicensis
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- ʻOheʻohe (Niʻihau)
- ʻOhe
- ʻOhe kukuluaeʻo
- ʻOhe makai
- ʻOheokai
Hawaiian Names
- Ohe
- Ohe kukuluaeo
- Ohe makai
- Oheohe (Niihau)
- Oheokai
Common Names
- Hawaiian reynoldsia
Synonyms
- Reynoldsia degeneri
- Reynoldsia hillebrandii
- Reynoldsia hosakana
- Reynoldsia huehuensis
- Reynoldsia mauiensis
- Reynoldsia oblonga
- Reynoldsia sandwicensis
Distribution Status
Endemic
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Tree
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
- Tree, Small, 15 to 30
- Tree, Medium, 30 to 50
- Tree, Large, Greater than 50
Mature Size, Width
ʻOhe makai can have a nearly 60-foot spread.
Life Span
Long lived (Greater than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Container
- Specimen Plant
Additional Landscape Use Information
Plant out when trees are young. When established cut back on watering this tree.
Do not be alarmed if you see this tree drop all the leaves in the summer. It is not dead! There is no need to water to encourage leaf growth either. Allow ʻohe makai to rest. Resume watering at end of summer or early fall.
For this reason, ʻohe makai may not be the best choice as a shade tree.
This may not be a choice landscape plant for some gardeners that would not be accustomed to a tropical tree loosing its leaves during the summer dormant period. [Anna Yorba, Hawaiian Garden Design, LLC; David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Type
Not Showy
Flower Colors
- Green
- Orange
- Purple
- Yellow
Additional Flower Color Information
Flowers of ʻohe makai are on short racemes, ranging in color from greenish-yellow to orange purple.
Blooming Period
- Fall
Additional Blooming Period and Fruiting Information
Small dark purple fruits follow the blooming period.
Plant texture
- Medium
Additional Plant Texture Information
ʻOhe makai leaves are 2 to 4 inches long.
Leaf Colors
- Light Green
Additional Pest & Disease Information
ʻOhe makai is prone to ants, scale and mealy bugs.
Fertilizer
For young trees an application of a balanced slow release fertilize with minor elements every six months. Foliar feed monthly with kelp or fish emulsion, or a water-soluble fertilizer with a dilution of one half to one third of recommended strength. Large trees will receive nutrients from surrounding soil. Do not fertilize in the summer months.
Pruning Information
Not necessary unless to control canopy spread. Do not cut back too severely though if deciding to prune. ʻOhe makai naturally looses leaves in summer dormancy or at other dry times of the year, so some raking may be necessary then. But the leaves are thin and will compost quickly if left on ground. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Water Requirements
- Dry
Additional Water Information
Too much soil moisture can kill this tree. Once the plant is well established do not water except in extremely dry conditions. Especially do not water in summer dormancy.
ʻOhe makai is a true xeric, or drought tolerant, tree in every sense of the word!
Soil must be well drained
Yes
Light Conditions
- Full sun
- Partial sun
Additional Lighting Information
Full sun to partial sun. But ʻohe makai grows optimally in full sun conditions.
Tolerances
- Drought
- Wind
- Heat
Soils
- Cinder
Limitations
ʻOhe makai does not like "wet feet," that is, constant moisture in the root area and espeially in the summer.
Natural Range
- Niʻihau
- Oʻahu
- Molokaʻi
- Lānaʻi
- Maui
- Hawaiʻi
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
- Less than 150, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- Less than 150, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 150 to 1000, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 150 to 1000, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 1000 to 1999, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 1000 to 1999, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 2000 to 2999, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 2000 to 2999, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
Additional Habitat Information
ʻOhe makai naturally grows in dry to occasionally mesic forests and is becoming increasingly rare. It is found from about 100 to over 2,600 feet in elevation.
Special Features and Information
General Information
ʻOhe makai belongs to the Ginseng family (Araliaceae), which also includes other native trees such as ʻōlapa (Cheirodendron spp.), munroidendron or pōkalakala, and ʻohe mauka.
There are a total of 16 native species in Araliaceae in the Hawaiian Islands.
The non-native and invasive octopus tree or heʻe (Schefflera actinophylla) is also in this same family.
Etymology
The former generic name Reynoldsia is named on behalf of J. N. Reynolds, an early 19th century plant collector and promoter of the South Sea Exploring Expedition.
The new generic name Polyscias is from the Greek word "many-shades" in reference to the foliage. [3]
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 1770's. James Cook named the islands after John Montagu (The fourth Earl of Sandwich) for supporting Cook's voyages.
Hawaiian Names:
ʻOheʻohe is a Niʻihau name for this plant.
Background Information
ʻOhe makai is one of the few native Hawaiian trees that are deciduous, dropping all leaves during the summer month dormancy, or at other dry times of the year.
This species is becoming rare in its natural habitat. [5]
Early Hawaiian Use
Boys and girls, as well as men, in old Hawaiʻi nei enjoyed walking on wooden stilts called kukuluaeʻo, or simply aeʻo, named after the long-legged Hawaiian black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudsenii). The wood they choose for this game was ʻohe makai. [1]
The fruits were used medicinally for babies. The mother would eat the fruits feed her baby through breast milk to cure pāʻaoʻao (childhood disease, with physical weaknesses) and ʻea (thrush) with no side effects. [2,4]
Modern Use
The soft whitish wood is apparently not used today. [5]
Additional References
[1] "Plants in Hawaiian Culture" by Beatrice H. Krauss, page 89.
[2] "Native Hawaiian Medicine--Volume III" by The Rev. Kaluna M. Kaʻaiakamanu, page 79.
[3] "Recircumscription of Polyscias (Araliaceae) to include six related genera, with a new infrageneric
classification and a synopsis of species" by Porter P. Lowry II and Gregory M. Plunkett, page 61.
[4] "Auwahi: Ethnobotany of a Hawaiian Dryland Forest" by A.C. Medeiros, C.F. Davenport & C.G. Chimera, page 15.
[5] "Common Forest Trees of Hawaii (Native and Introduced)" by Elbert L. Little Jr. and Roger G. Skolmen, page 302.
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=Polyscias%20sandwicensis
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