Growing the Hawaiian Ohelo Berry

Ohelo (Vaccinium reticulatum) is a small, native Hawaiian shrub in the cranberry family, commonly found at high elevations on the islands of Maui and Hawaii. It is abundant in the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and Volcano area. The berry is prized for making jams, jellies and pie filling; colors range from bright red to yellows and oranges. 

Fragile habitats can often be disturbed as people search the countryside for this delectable berry.  This is one reason why horticulturist Francis T.P. Zee, with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) in Hilo, Hawaii, began evaluating ohelo for small farm production and ornamental use. His team has created the new cultivar called "Kilauea" and selected it for berry production.

Individuals can grow their own ohelo plants from seed. The seeds are tiny, but readily germinated under 20-30 percent shade in a well-watered and well-drained potting mixture.   Older potted 'ōhelo plants can be trained into a bonsai for an office or home. Plants may also be started from cuttings.  They may take a while to root, in one study 60% of the cuttings rooted in 3 months.

Ohelo berry flowering occurs throughout the year, but it is most abundant from April to September. Since the berries take 50 to 60 days to ripen, substantial quantities of mature berries are available beginning in June.  Color is not necessarily an indication of ripeness. How well the plants will grow at various locations is still unknown.

For more information, obtain a copy of the CTAHR publication, Producing Potted Ornamental Ohelo, at the local CTAHR office or their website at http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/site/info.aspx. Farmers’ markets on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Makuu and Waimea markets, have from time to time sold ohelo berry plants.

Kamani Trees

 The kamani tree (Calophyllum inophyllum) is a member of the mangosteen family; it is also known as beach mahogany or the oil nut tree.  Valued mainly for beauty, hardiness and shade, they are often the focal point for parks and open spaces. Trees grow 25-65 ft. tall, with a broad spreading crown.  They are well suited for tropical beach and coastal areas.  They tolerate wind, salt spray, poor air quality, drought and brief periods of waterlogged soil. It is a good tree for soil stabilization in coastal areas.

Kamani trees do not tolerate much shade or cold weather.  The trees are not suited to high elevations, cool areas or very dry conditions. Since the spreading roots of these large trees may cause damage to pavements and structures, caution must be exercised when planting on smaller properties, best if grown in sandy soils.

The tree blooms twice a year with small, fragrant, white flowers.  The wood is prized for carving, boat building, cabinet and furniture making. The oil from the nuts, which is mildly poisonous when many are consumed, has been used traditionally for medicine (external), lamp oil and cosmetics. Kamani oil is produced commercially in the South Pacific.

Bt - An Effective, Organic Pesticide

Bt, which is the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (sold as  Dipel, Gnatrol, and Thuricide) is an effective organic pesticide specific to caterpillars, fungus gnat and mosquito larvae.

The problem is that Bt does not kill immediately, and therefore, gardeners may think the product is ineffective. The bacterium produces a toxin that, when ingested, causes gut paralysis and eventual death. The affected caterpillar will stop feeding within hours of ingestion, but it may take a day or two to actually die.

In addition, Bt rapidly degrades in sunlight. For best results, applications should be made in the late afternoon. Most caterpillars feed after dusk anyway.  Bt is especially effective against the green garden looper which commonly attacks many vegetable crops and some ornamental crops, including ti and tropical foliage.