Hala Plant on Maui

I thought this was such a beautiful plant here on maui-the colors so tropical!! This is the female plant.

The Hala Tree is very distinctive looking. Growing up to 20 feet tall each tree has thick aerial roots that spread out into the ground. There are male and female versions of the Hala Tree. The fronds of each have long bent leaves and the female produces an 8 inch pineapple looking fruit in the center of the fronds.

The Hawaiians used the entire tree in a variety of ways. The leaves were woven into hats, mats, and roofing materials. The segments of the fruit were used as paint brushes and for food. Leis have been made with the individual sections of the fruit and the wood of the tree has been used to create water pipes, posts and calabashes. The pollen of the sweet smelling male Hala flower (Hinano) was used to preserve feathers and leis.

Check out info about the Hala plant here!

Canon PowerShot SX20IS