Touchardia latifolia Olona PFAF Plant Database

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Summary

Touchardia latifolia, commonly known as Olana, is a flowering shrub about 1 to 3 m tall endemic to Hawaii. The leaves, arranged alternately, vary in shape from thin lanceolate to broad elliptic. Female flowers are orange berry-like achenes while male flowers are white. No plant part is edible and of medicinal value. The bark yields strong, light, and water resistant fiber with is used for making fish lines, nets, in feather capes and helmets, musical instruments, weapons, fine cloth, etc. Plant is grown from cuttings. Transplanting is not ideal because the roots of Olana are fragile.

Physical Characteristics

Touchardia latifolia is a SHRUB growing to 2 m (6ft 7in) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist or wet soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

No synonyms are recorded for this name.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

None known

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

References More on Medicinal Uses

Other Uses

Basketry Fibre Musical String

Other Uses: A fibre obtained from the bark is strong, light, and water-resistant[417 ]. A very good quality fibre, highly prized for its tenacity and durability, it is used traditionally for making fish lines, netting, in feather capes and helmets, as well as ki-leaf rain capes, in musical instruments; in weapons such as daggers, clubs. Also used in conjunction with Freycinetia arborea in twined basketry[417 ]. The fibre is suitable for making fine cloth[454 ]. The plants are best cut when a little over a year old and their thick stems stripped of the loosely adhering bark[640 ]. The extraneous pulp is then scraped away the with a blade[640 ].

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

The plant grows best at elevations from 300 - 1,500 metres[640 ]. The plant flourishes best in a deeply shaded woodland position with hardly any clearing[640 ].

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed -

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Olona

Native Range

PACIFIC: United States (Hawaii (all islands except Ni‘ihau, Kaho‘olawe))

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it's worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed

IUCN Red List

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

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Expert comment

Author

Gaudich.

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

Touchardia latifolia - Gaudich.