Ti plants blooming like crazy

[Chunkster]

My rather large collection of ti plants have bloomed early this year and more prolifically than I can ever remember in 15 years of experience. Also, I have noticed for the first time that some of them are fragrant. Is this unusual, or just a sign that my ti garden is maturing? Thanks!

[Carey]

I noticed that same thing yesterday while driving down 130 towards my Pahoa Aqua Exercise... esp the red ti! pink inflorescence like crazy for miles!
& all of our red to pink to green/red variegated ti, no matter the age or most recent trimming are going pink bonkers!
not so much with our green ti...

[ElysianWort]

Anyone ever dug up one of your mature ti plants and cooked the corm? I haven't yet.

Apparently the Hawaiians used to do this and eat it like sweet potato but more often it was cooked, mashed, mixed with water and left to ferment and turned into a quite potent alcoholic beverage.

edited for grammar

[Chunkster]

Thanks, Carey! Same with my green ti. The rest are in full explosion mode with pink and even lavender blooms.

EW, I have heard of Hawaiian moonshine called Okolehao made from ti. Even had a friend who had a commercially bottled example. Could this be similar to what you describe? Here's some info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okolehao

Edited to add link and correct spelling of okolehao.

[ElysianWort]

Aye Chunkster that be the grog I spake of. Exactly.
Savvy?

[Chunkster]

Aye, I thought that might be what you had in mind.

[ElysianWort]

Stuff here is 80 & 86 proof! https://inuakena.com/misc/okolehao-then-and-now/


Here is some cool info on it:
https://www.eater.com/drinks/2016/11/10/...hao-hawaii

Found the name okolehao to be interesting too.
okole means... well I think most of us know that meaning.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/okole

hao means:
http://wehewehe.org/gsdl2.85/cgi-bin/hdict?e=q-11000-00---off-0hdict--00-1----0-10-0---0---0direct-10-ED--4-------0-1lp0--11-en-Zz-1---Zz-1-home-hao--00-3-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-00-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&d=D2985

so... butt-tool? Or butt-sea-foam??!

[shave_ice]

I think it translates to ass kicker, so that tells you how strong it is.

[ElysianWort]

Ass kicker. Now that makes sense.

I believe this stuff pictured in the links is different from the old Hawaiian brewing because it's so potent and refined. I think you need a special apparatus, distillery maybe to get that high of a proof alcohol. Don't think the Hawaiians got that going till the white men came to the islands and "corrupted" them.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I think you need a special apparatus, distillery maybe... the white men came to the islands and "corrupted" them.

A pot and tubing, courtesy of Western Civilization.

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde