Plant – Alii Poepoe

'Ali'ipoe

Description: Perennial herbs, 8-15 dm tall, leaves 30-60 cm long.

ʻōlelo mua (Introduction):

Inoa(Name):

  • Scientific –  Canna indica
  • Hawaiian – Ali’ipoe

ʻOhana: Part of Cannaceae family

Kūlana olakino(Status): Naturalized

Lāʻau lapaʻau(Medicinal Use): N/A

Ways it was Used: 

  • Often cultivated

  • Black seeds made for lei

  • Used to make ‘uli‘uli (rattles) in hula (Emerson 1909:107).

  • Apparently brough to Hawai‘i as a commercial starch crop (Wagner et al. 1990:1376).

Kino lau(Many Forms taken by Supernatural body): N/A