‘Ākia (Wikstroemia uva-ursi var. uva-ursi)

Photo courtesy of MNBG

Hawaiian name: ‘Ākia (Aoaoa, Kauhi)
Botanical name: Wikstroemia uva-ursi var. uva-ursi
Family: Thymelaeaceae (Daphne Family)
Status: Endemic
Where found: Maui, Moloka‘i & O‘ahu 
Water/Light: Dry, with full sun exposure
Elevation range: 0 to 1,500 feet
Height: 2 to 6 feet, with an up to 5 foot spread

The decorative foliage and the red, orange or yellow fruit make ‘ākia a wonderful contribution to any Hawaiian landscape. Sometimes called "false ohelo," the fruits resemble delicious orange or red ‘ōhelo berries. This species of ‘ākia can be used to make kapa, and perform a fishing method, called hola, to stupefy fish. Various parts of the plant are mixed with chum and spread through tide pools. When fish eat the mixture, they become temporarily intoxicated which makes them easier to scoop with a net. These toxins do not have the same effect on mammals. In lāʻau lapaʻau (Hawaiian medicine), ʻākia sap is mixed with other plants and used as a purgative. Hawaiian woodcrafters use ʻākia wood for ʻauamo, traditional carrying sticks. ‘Ākia is drought, wind, salt and heat tolerant.