Hala pepe (Dracaena auwahiensis)

Hala pepe flowers and leaves by Forest and Kim Starr
Photo courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr

Hawaiian name: Hala pepe
Botanical name: Dracaena auwahiensis (formerly Pleomele)
Family: Asparagaceae (Asparagus Family)
Status: Endemic
Where found: Maui & Molokai (central Mo/ leeward M)
Water/Light: Dry to moist, with full sun exposure
Elevation range: 1,800 to 4,000 feet
Height: 15-30 feet, 10 foot spread

 

In Hawaiian, hala pepe means "baby hala." It was likely named so because of its likeness to the indigenous hala tree (Pandanus tectorius).  In lāʻau lapaʻau (Hawaiian medicine) the leaves of hala pepe were added to steam baths for treating chills (li‘a), headaches and fever. The soft wood was used for carving images (ki‘i) and to decorate altars. The leaves and flowers can also be used to make beautiful lei. Within a Hawaiian landscape, hala pepe can be used in place of the introduced "money tree." Hala pepe is drought tolerant and this species is endemic to Maui Nui in dry areas of central Molokaʻi and leeward Maui.

Hala pepe flowers by Jupiter Nielsen

Photo credit: Jupiter Nielsen

Hala pepe trunk by Forest and Kim Starr

Photo credit: Forest and Kim Starr

Halapepe old growth at Auwahi by Forest and Kim Starr

Photo credit: Forest and Kim Starr

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