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Does anyone have this incredibly wonderful smelling and useful plant growing around their home and what different uses is it being used for by you? We have used it as a hair conditioner and body rinse.
Aloha Dave & Peggy
Aloha HADave & Mz P
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Is that the shampoo ginger?
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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I believe so but sure, we stumbled on to it in Waipio Valley and some folks there showed us how to find the liquid at the base of the blossom and told us a story of how Paul Mitchell got rich from it . We loved how it both made the hair shiny and soft as well as the very wonderful fragrance it left. We have tried to read up on it and found that it used for many other remendies as well thought perhaps someone new about it many uses and whether it grew easily around the home. It will be on our list of tropical plants to have for sure. Should we just ask for Ginger when looking?
Aloha HADave & Mz P
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Aloha, Dave. You will need to be specific when shopping because there are many different types of ginger grown on this island, ranging from invasive yellow ginger to elaborate torch gingers used for high-end cut flower arrangements. Sounds like a variety I would like to have! Please post if you find some.
Good luck,
Jerry
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Dave & Peggy, Awapuhi Kuahiwi is listed in several references as the shampoo ginger, and that would also match the clensing fluid at the base of the blossom. This is one of the gingers I would like to add to my yard, as soom as I clear out the overgrowth I have (including red & pink ginger take overs!) I have it seen for sale a couple of times at church rummage sales & the Hilo market.
Aloha, Carey
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So I guess we too will call it shampoo ginger from now on thankyou all. it does grow wild in the Valley back towards VW along the trail but I'm not sure if anyone claims ownership to it. The only thing I do know is if you walk down in do it on a cloudy day. One mile down 10 miles back up.....very brutal when the sun is strong...Has anyone heard of any of the other medicinal uses of this plant, the root is suppose to pack quite a few benefits? Dave & Peggy
Aloha HADave & Mz P
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Paul Mitchell story - He did come up with the shampoo and then the "other Paul", the guy you see in the commercials (can't think of his last name), bought it out and left PM's name on it and made millions. PM died a number of years ago although I believe his farm is still up in Paauilo malka where the orginial stands of shampoo ginger and his orginal solar dryers where. It's been a few years since I was up there but it was a beautiful spot. They also were using tabacco & marigold plants as insect repellents, and a number of fairly cool ideas for building etc. From a different thread, I think PM would have been a great "punatic".
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Paul Mitchell is still there, he's buried in a nice dell near an ohia tree. I think they still produce some of the ginger from there, but I'm not sure and it has been almost two years since I was up there.
Great spot, though with interesting buildings scattered about. Instead of all one structure, they built separate buildings for each function and most of them are sort of "outdoor" types of buildings. The kitchen is in it's own separate kiosk, the bedrooms their own buildings with several nice bathrooms most of which overlook the surrounding woods. Those are also separate buildings with nice paths and landscaping going between all of them. Loads of interesting architectural details such as using a conch shell as the faucet to spill water into a bigger shell sink. I'm not sure how actually "liveable" the design would be on a day-to-day basis, but it makes a great vacation spot.
How much of the liquid at the base of the ginger do you have to use to wash your hair? Is there a recipe for the shampoo?
A hui hou,
Cathy
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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We carried the stems back to our room in Kona from the Valley and, of course our hair was not that long but had more than enough from two stems for both of us. We simply broke the base open into our hands and applied it directly. I can still recall the wonderful fragrance and soft feeling that it left. The young fellow, Mika, that introduced the plant to us did not speak of any particular recipe, I too now wonder about the many local recipes that are made from this plant and probably so many more from others that lie waiting to be discovered. One such recipe/remedy found here.
http://library.kcc.hawaii.edu/~soma/krauss/awapuhi.html
Aloha HADave & Mz P
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Dave,
We had hundreds of these red flowers growing under a huge Banyan tree, I noticed the clear syrup that was on the flower after picking one. At the time i thought it was kinda gross reminded me of Karo syrup.
Unfortunately I had to cut the tree down because it was too close to the house and the red flowers that were growing under it's shade never came back but im sure the bulbs or roots are still there?
Lee
