05-14-2007, 07:55 AM
Wow, that would be cool to have 'ie'ie on your land. Good call, Les! In checking this out, I just learned that both plants are closely related. I think one distinguishing feature of hala would be wider leaves, and conspicuous prop roots at the bottom of the trunk (they look like a skirt around the main trunk.) 'Ie'ie can have aerial roots at intervals all along the woody stems, but they are much thinner and not woody. You can propagate cuttings with enough of these roots attached (according to the Rosenberger bible):>. You will probably find 'ie'ie growing in shade and some soil, whereas hala prefers sun and can do with very little soil. Hala is really only common in lower coastal places. And, while lower Puna is part of 'ie'ie's historic range, it seems to be more common higher up. Hope this helps, but I guess a picture is really is worth a thousand words...
Uluhe Design
Restoration Based Landscape Design for Hawai'i
uluhedesign@yahoo.com
Uluhe Design
Restoration Based Landscape Design for Hawai'i
uluhedesign@yahoo.com
Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com