In my photo pot I mentioned the “Hawaiian paintbrush” and I promised to write a little bit more about it and include a couple photos. The screwpine produces a pineapple shaped fruit that is listed as “edible”. Most Hawaiians don’t eat the screwpine fruit – the sweet fresh fruit tips were only eaten as famine food by the early Hawaiians. Children would break open the mature keys (the drupes) and eat the nut-like centers. The Hawaiian word for the screwpine is Hala or Pū hala and is sometimes referred to as Pandan. This is because the plant is from the Pandanus family including Pandanus fatuhivaensis, Pandanus filiciatilis, and 7 others. The tree comes as a male and female, with the female producing the fruit and the male hala producing a highly fragrant and attractive floral display. Hala is one of the classic picturesque coastal trees of the South Pacific. Hala have thick aerial roots known as ulehala. The early Hawaiians used hala extensively and planted them near houses.
It was used medicinally as a laxative, to treat colds, chest pains, low energy, urinary tract infections, and red eyes. A mixture with sugar cane and other plants was used as a tonic for mothers weakened by childbirth. It is said to be rich in vitamin B.
The fragrant male hala flowers were made into beautiful lei. The wood was used for house construction, canoe rollers, and occasionally for bowls. Wood centers of branches were hollowed out and used for pipes to channel water from one taro pond to another. Where it was abundant the leaves were used for thatch on roofs. The soft aerial roots were used as cordage. The leaves were used in plaiting pillows, mats and mattresses. The Hawaiians also plaited the leaves for hats, house ceilings, canoe sails, baskets, sandals for walking on rough lava, and fans to cool themselves.
The dried keys were also used as brushes for stenciling and for perfuming kapa (bark cloth). And this is where the paintbrush comes from.
Or tour driver “cousin Kimo” suggested we could pick up a couple if we were interested. I was very interested and grabbed two thinking I’d give them as a gift to my artist friends. Now I’m feeling greedy and want to keep them and try them out! They are about 2.5 inches long and the base is about the diameter of a quarter. Online someone on Etsy is selling them saying they are perfect for toddler hands.