Day 2: Dry Hau Flowers

 

Pencil drawing, Dry Hau Flowers

The hau is a very special tree. Native to Hawaii and a member of the hibiscus family, hau spreads throughout the islands as a prolific shrub or wild and protective coastal bush. Hau is tough and resilient.

Historians say the hau seeds and cuttings were carried in canoes to Hawaii in ancient times. The naturally-curved, pliable branches of the hau softwood were used to make the vital canoe outriggers for transportation, exploration, connection to nature, and so much more.

Amazingly, the plant is also resistant to salt. Hawaiians transformed the hau bark into thick rope for strong nets which held strong in the ocean water. Net fishing, from shore or canoe, is the heartbeat and strength of our island heritage.

The hau flower is a sacred miracle, a spark of life, and a symbol of the human spirit. Its life tells us the story of our fragile, brief lives. With heart-shaped leaves, the five-petal hau blossom unfurls a yellow color at first light, turns orange in the afternoon, and dies dark orange by moonlight.

"From sun up to sun down."

 (mai ka la hiki a ka la kau.)

Hawaiian Proverb