Kī

Kī

Kī

Names

  • ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: Kī, lāʻī, ti
  • Scientific: Cordyline fruticosa

Species Information

Kī is a shrub or small tree that grows to about 15 feet.  The light gray trunk is about 3 inches in diameter and developes horizontal rings as it grows.  Leaves are alternate but very crowded in a spiral at the end of the branch.  The blades are narrow and oblong but broad near the middle and can grow to about 18 inches long and 4 inches wide.  Flower clusters are large and arise from the center of the leaves.  Fruits, which rarely form, are less than an inch in diameter and usually a shade of yellow or red (Little and Skolmen, 2003).

This plant has many uses, evidenced by how many uses can be found for the leaves alone.  For instance, they can be used to wrap food, make footwear, thatching, rain capes, and even as instruments (Handy et al., 1972).  The leaves can also be used as a healing apparatus when wrapped around warm stones to serve as hotpacks, or dipped in cold water to treat fever (Abbott, 1992).

Distribution

The exact indigenous distribution has been complicated by human dispersal and selection.  The species has been carried throughout Polynesia, Melanesia, Easter Island, and New Zealand.  It is cultivated widely for food, medicine, and textiles.

Habitat

Kī commonly grows cultivated in moist, semi-shaded areas in mesic valleys and forests. It is common from sea level in the lower wetlands, up to the 4,000-foot elevation (Wagner et al., 1990).

Photos

Lower trail, mostly alien spp

 

References & Additional Resources

  • Abbott, Isabella Aiona. Lā’au Hawai’i : Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants. Bishop Museum Press, 1992.
  • Handy, C. and Handy, E.G. Native Planters in Old Hawai’i: Their Life, Lore, and Environment. Bishop Museum Bulletin, 1972.
  • Little, E.L., Skolmen, R.G., Common forest trees of Hawaii.US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 2003.
  • Simpson, P, 2024. Cordyline fruticosa. In: CABI Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.  https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.11866.
  • Wagner, Warren L., Derral R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer.  Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai’i. University of Hawaii Press, 1990.