Common Name:

General Information

Planchonella sandwicensis is a shrub or a tree that can grow up to 12 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Pacific - Hawaii.

Habitat

Dry to moist and diverse moist forests at elevations from about 240 - 1,080 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	8.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in areas with a rainfall up to 2,500mm[].
Grows best in a sunny position[]. Succeeds in dry to moist soils[]. Prefers a soil rich in organic matter[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Young trees are slow-growing[].

Edible Uses

The fruit is edible when it ripens and drops to the leaf litter and sits for a couple of days. The flavour is like baked yams[]

Medicinal

The leaves and bark are used medicinally[].
The leaves and bark, combined with the root of Cucurma longa and salt, is used as an ointment for the treatment of illnesses known as 'wela kupuni' and '‘ea kamanawa '[].

Other Uses

The milky sap was used as a glue for tool and weapon handles[].

The seeds are used to make permanent leis[].

The wood is hard. It is used to make gunwales for canoes, house construction, and spears[, ].

Propagation

Seed - seedings quickly produce a taproot, so the seed should be sown in individual deep pots. When sown fresh, it germinates in 1 - 2 months[]. Plant the seedlings out while still small to allow the tap root to develop properly[].

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