Clermontia parviflora

Main Plant Information

Genus

Clermontia

Species

parviflora

Hawaiian Names with Diacritics

• ʻŌhā
• ʻŌhā wai
• Hāha

Hawaiian Names

• Haha
• Oha
• Oha wai

Common Names

• Small-flowered clermontia
• Smallflower clermontia

Synonyms

• Cyanea blinii

Did You Know…?

This fast growing ʻōhā wai is “perfect for air-conditioned interior décor” with partial shade. [Kim Dillman, Big Island Plants]

Plant Characteristics

Distribution Status

Endemic

Endangered Species Status

No Status

Plant Form / Growth Habit

• Partially Woody / Shrub-like

Mature Size, Height (in feet)

• Tree, Dwarf, Less than 15
• Tree, Small, 15 to 30

Life Span

Long lived (Greater than 5 years)

Landscape Uses

• Accent
• Container
• Indoor
• Specimen Plant

Additional Landscape Use Information

ʻŌhā wai look great in a forest setting landscapes and will live at an estimated 15-20 years. [Kim Dillman, Big Island Plants]

Plant Produces Flowers

Yes

Flower Characteristics

Flower Type

Showy

Flower Colors

• Green
• Light Purple
• Purple
• White

Additional Flower Color Information

The flowers of this species are green, purple, or white with white or pale purple interiors.

Additional Blooming Period and Fruiting Information

The fruits have a pumpkin shape and color and are about a inch or so in diameter. [Kim Dillman, Big Island Plants]

Leaf Characteristics

Plant texture

• Medium

Leaf Colors

• Light Green
• Medium Green

Pests and Diseases

Additional Pest & Disease Information

Red spider mites seem to harass this species more than some other Clermontia. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]

Growth Requirements

Water Requirements

• Moist

Additional Water Information

Appreciates constant moisture. [Kim Dillman, Big Island Plants]

Soil must be well drained

Yes

Light Conditions

• Partial sun

Additional Lighting Information

Partial shade, but tolerates any light in the right substrate. [Kim Dillman, Big Island Plants]

Special Growing Needs

Grows as a terrestrial (in ground) or as an epiphyte on hāpuʻu trunks with good drainage. [Kim Dillman, Big Island Plants]

Environmental Information

Natural Range

• Hawaiʻi

Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)

• 1000 to 1999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
• 3000 to 3999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
• 4000 to 4999, Greater than 100 (Wet)

Habitat

• Epiphyte
• Terrestrial

Additional Habitat Information

This species if found from about 395 to 4790 feet in wet forests of the Kohala Mountains and the windward slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, Hawaiʻi Island.

Special Features and Information

General Information

The twenty-two Clermontia species (ʻōhā wai) are among the more common of the lobelioides (Campanulaceae), but also include some rare and endangered species. Clermontia are “candelabra-like” branching, woody shrubs or small trees.

While nearly all the species are found as terrestrials, over half of the species also grow as epiphytes, that is they grow on other plants, with one species always found as such. As epiphytes, they are often found on mossy-trunks or branches of larger trees such as koa, ʻōhiʻa,ʻōlapa ( Cheirodendron trigynum ) and sometimes hāpuʻu. [1,4]

Etymology

The generic name Clermontia is named on behalf M. le Marquis de Clermont-Tonnerre, Minister of the French Navy at the time of the Freycinet expedition (1817-1820).

The specific epithet parviflora is from the Latin parvus , small, and flora , flower, in reference to its having one of the smallest flowers in the genus.

Background Information

Clermontia produce two or more flowers on a typical inflorescence and pollinated by honeycreepers (e.g. ʻiʻiwi, ʻakialoa) seeking nectar. [2] Yellow or orange berries are produced after flowering.

Early Hawaiian Use

Early Hawaiians used ʻōhā wai (Clermontia spp.) as a minor food source. The leaves were boiled before eating and the berries were eaten fresh and said to have a sweet taste. [3]

Modern Use

With their general ease of cultivation, several species of Clermontia are slowly being incorporated into home landscaping.

This species ( Clermontia parviflora ) has also been used as an indoor plant with air-conditioning. [Kim Dillman, Big Island Plants]

Additional References

[1] “Systematic Botany Monographs, Volume 32, Systematics of Clermontia (Campanulaceae-Lobelioideae)” by Thomas Lammers, pages 5, 6, 10-11, 24-30, 60-61, 64. [2] “The Hawaiian Honeycreeper (Drapanididae)” by H. Douglas Pratt, pages 18, 144.

[3] “Native Hawaiian Medicine–Volume III” by The Rev. Kaluna M. Kaʻaiakamanu, page 78.

[4] “Hawaii–A Natural History” by Sherwin Carlquist, pages 243, 338.