Plant Profile
Bidens menziesii subsp. filiformis
Kokolau, Koʻokoʻolau, Kōʻokoʻolau, Koʻolau
Main Plant Information
Genus
Bidens
Species
menziesii
Subspecies
- filiformis
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Kokolau
- Koʻokoʻolau
- Kōʻokoʻolau
- Koʻolau
Hawaiian Names
- Kokolau
- Kookoolau
- Koolau
Common Names
- Mauna Loa beggarticks
Synonyms
- Bidens menziesii var. leptodonta
Plant Characteristics
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
Life Span
No data available.
Landscape Uses
- Accent
- Hedges
- Screening
Additional Landscape Use Information
Bidens menziesii grow to be among the tallest of the Koʻokoʻolau reaching 13 or more feet and are the only species classified as a shrub–all the others being known as herbs. They may be used a screen plants or even as a loosely forming hedge.
Plant Produces Flowers
No data available.
Flower Characteristics
Leaf Characteristics
Plant texture
No data available.
Pests and Diseases
Growth Requirements
Water Requirements
No data available.
Light Conditions
No data available.
Environmental Information
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
No data available.
Special Features and Information
Etymology
The name Bidens is derived from the Latin bi , two, and dens , teeth in reference to the pappus awns or collective bristles on the achenes (fruit, seeds).
The species epithet menziesii refers to Archibald Menzies (1754-1842) a Scottish surgeon and naturalist, and the first to taxonomically identify the species. [1]
Modern Use
All species of koʻokoʻolau can be brewed as a tonic and each are said to have distinct flavors. Regarding Bidens spp., Isabella Abbott comments that “I find that the roughly half a dozen species common in Hawaiʻi offer two or three slightly different flavors, each a bit more subtle than commercial black tea.”
Additional References
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Menzies [accessed 11/4/10]
[2] “Lāʻau Hawaiʻi: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants” by Isabella Aiona Abbott, page 102.
