Häpu‘u (Hawaiian Tree Fern)

[Leafmite]

This thread was awful. I am so tempted to order a small shoot cutting of one of these. Got the site bookmarked. I keep reminding myself that I don't need another indoor 'tree'. It does grow very slowly though, on the plus side, not like some of my other little trees.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

Yes.



"Plant is mounted on hapu'u (Hawaiian tree Fern)", is the exact wording Kawamoto uses. Certainly the material is different from anything I see now and from 40 years ago when my father was actively growing orchids. All I can say is it is fantastic stuff.


Serious conservation needs to disseminate information quickly, easily and concisely. "Considered threatened" and "Apparently secure" are wishy washy statements used for our particular bias and provides huge legal wiggle room. What is the terminology used by whatever governing agency that decides all this? Obviously, the use of this material is not prohibited.

I'm done. It's a moot point since I can't get the stuff and I find I'm repeating myself. This thread is now bordering on pedantic and to my mind, not in a good way.

---------- Post added at 12:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 PM ----------

I retract my "I'm done".



back at'cha.

I have sunshine. What I need is rain and lots of it (but not all at once like TX is getting now).

I getcha, today we have sunshine and my spirits are high. Well mine are never to bad when we have rain, love, love,love the rain. We don't get that much. Poor people in Texas, and they have been in a drought. Feast or famine.

[isurus79]

I used to buy my hapu'u from a nursery in the McCully area of Oahu when I lived there, but I can't seem to find it. I wonder if it has been shut down. And for everyone wondering, hapu'u is EVERYWHERE in Hawaii and is one of the most common plants you see in home landscaping gardens and forests throughout the islands. It is NOT a species in danger of being over harvested.

I can't remember if you said you contacted Kawamoto about their tree fern source or not, but that would be your best bet. Les and Reid (father and son duo who own/run Kawamoto) are very willing to chat.

However, I have to say that Mel (Hawaiian Sunshine) offered a very important piece of info: If he says they're not using Hawaiian hapu'u, then they're likely not using Hawaiian hapu'u! Mel knows most of the big Oahu growers personally and likely knows more about this than most people!

---------- Post added at 10:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 AM ----------

Originally Posted by geraldw3210

well ray this is what she asked for and its her decision what she wants too use.

Ray im sure you have never ever done anything too harm the environment HUH??

What a bizarre thing to say. Just a random, unwarranted attack on one of our active, well respected OB members (or anyone) is not needed here and not representative of how we treat each other on this forum.

[lepetitmartien]

I wonder how you can have such a different opinion from the state of things issued by the Uni of Hawaii. It can't have been reversed this way in 12 years.

Have you read the pdf, please?

The quality of the material is not at stake, it's the plant it's taken on like other tree ferns that is the issue.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by lepetitmartien

I wonder how you can have such a different opinion from the state of things issued by the Uni of Hawaii. It can't have been reversed this way in 12 years.

Have you read the pdf, please?

The quality of the material is not at stake, it's the plant it's taken on like other tree ferns that is the issue.

It could very well have changed in the past 12 years as growing native plants in Hawaii is very much en vogue. However, the UH article mentions Australian and Asian species being grown in the island as well. I might have seen many of these growing in people's yards and not known they were non-native. Either way, the use of tree fern in Hawaii is VERY common and tree fern grows everywhere in the wetter forests. This is based on personal experience and has no scientific basis.

[AnonYMouse]

Originally Posted by lepetitmartien

I wonder how you can have such a different opinion from the state of things issued by the Uni of Hawaii. It can't have been reversed this way in 12 years.

Have you read the pdf, please?

The quality of the material is not at stake, it's the plant it's taken on like other tree ferns that is the issue.

Have you read the pdf?

It isn't what I would call a scientific or scholarly article. It doesn't offer any quantifiable data. It may be published by the U of H but for general consumption. It's not ivory tower material.

---------- Post added at 05:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 PM ----------

As I was watering my one Kawamoto mounted plant, it occurred to me I should have shown a pic to better describe the material.





The darker (in focus) material is from Kawamoto, the other is the more commonly available tree fern (I think from Calwest).

I did ask Kawamoto about buying it but I'll talk to them and Carmela (*Gasp* I've not purchased anything from them!) some more. I don't have an immediate need so I do some research first.

[lepetitmartien]

I have read the article, I don't take it as "scientific" thank you, I did biology studies in university… I take it as recommendations for the general public. And if an official communication coming from a university can't be taken seriously, what can be?

They are very specific upon the endemic ferns at risk and invasive foreigners growing faster. When you know that even the fastest growing tree ferns have issues in the long run thru human exploitation, you have to add 2 and 2. I won't forbid people to cut down invasive tree ferns coming from outside Hawaii, in fact, it'd be a good thing. I just think locals may take things for granted and not see the whole picture, including how to differentiate endemic ferns from invasive ones.

And if you have doubts, I think a phone call to the U of Hawaii may help.

In Europe, we have very little to no tree fern slabs available, as the material is forbidden most of the tim from import, from Brazil. We manage without.

It's not as if some other materials suited to tropical situations weren't available.

[Leafmite]

And this is all why I prefer to use red lava rock or LECA.

You can buy the native plant. It doesn't transplant well so one would have to move it to the 'final' pot right away but as it doesn't grow very quickly, that would probably just need to be a twelve inch pot for the next forty years. Here is a site that carries them.

Hawaiian Hapu'u Tree Fern Plant Cutting ~ Grow Hawaii ~ more info

[Bent55]

I've been to kawamoto personally and can confirm.... No matter how much you beg he won't sell...