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Plant Profile

Hawai`i Pritchardia (Pritchardia maideniana)

View of mature specimen. Note the growing habit of the fan-shaped leaves. Photo Credit: Peter Van Dyke

Global Rank: GH - Possibly Extinct
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Arecaceae
State: HI
Nature Serve ID: 142376
Lifeform: Tree
Categories of Interest: Palms
Date Inducted in National Collection: 03/05/1993

Description:

A fine-looking, long-lived palm at 10-25 m (33-82 ft) tall, P. affinis is often used as a landscape specimen on the west side of Hawai'i Island. It is one of 19 native species of the fan palm genus Pritchardia, distinguished by undulating, pale green and often yellowing blades and almost round black fruits 2-3 cm in diameter. The leaf blades were used for thatching in old Hawai'i, the wood for spears, and the seeds were eaten. In the 19th century, people began making hats from the blades, and old trees are often marked with foot holds cut into the trunks to make harvesting the leaves easier. Many of the remaining individuals of the extremely rare species are located in areas that are highly valued for development. Loulu is endemic to South Kona and is now only found on the island of Hawaii where native people likely planted them. This species is known to have come to the island at least 40,000 years ago probably by the rafting of entire individuals across the ocean. It is thought that these palms grew in extensive groves surrounding many of Hawaiis islands before the Polynesians brought the pig and the Polynesian rat. In 1970 a horticulturalist, Norman Bezona, was hired by a resort developer to provide plants for landscaping. Mr. Bezona chose to utilize native species for the project and began a massive cultivation project to produce Loulus for use at the resort. He collected 4,000 seeds, sent half of them to Fairchild Tropical Garden in Florida and began germinate the remaining seeds. These plants were then transplanted near the Black Sand Beach of Kau. (Bezona 1974)

Where is Hawai`i Pritchardia (Pritchardia maideniana) located in the wild?

Habitat:

The species' natural habitat is unknown. It likely was cultivated by Hawaiians prior to western contact, and it is still planted today. This species is currently found on the leeward side of the Island of Hawaii in inhabited or abandoned Hawaiian coastal settlements and occasionally inland mesic gulches at 0-600 m (0-2000 ft) in elevation. (Wagner et al. 1999, USFWS 1994, and NatureServe Explorer 2002)

Distribution:

Kohala mountains, southeastern and western coasts of Hawai'i Island. (Wagner et al. 1999)

States & Provinces:

Hawai`i Pritchardia can be found in Hawaii

Which CPC Partners conserve Hawai`i Pritchardia (Pritchardia maideniana)?

Waimea Arboretum Foundation

Not Sponsored

Assigned 03/08/18

Harold L. Lyon Arboretum

Not Sponsored

Assigned 03/08/18

Honolulu Botanical Gardens

Not Sponsored

Assigned 03/08/18

National Tropical Botanical Garden

Conservation Actions

09/23/2020

At Amy Greenwell Garden, fruit are collected from garden-grown plants and seeds are propagated to produce plants for restoration and replanting. P. affinis grows readily from seed, but seeds are not known to store well (Melany Chapin, pers. com. 2000)

09/23/2020

At Amy Greenwell Garden, fruit are collected from garden-grown plants and seeds are propagated to produce plants for restoration and replanting.

09/23/2020

Plants are being restored to areas within their former range at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, as part of a larger habitat restoration project. (Tom Belfield, pers. com. 2001)

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Endemic to the island of Hawaii. This species is usually found at inhabited or abandoned Hawaiian coastal settlements, and less frequently inland. It appears that most, if not all, of these trees are remnants of Hawaiian plantings, and are not naturally occurring. These remaining trees are threatened by rats that are known to eat Pritchardia fruits, and by coastal development.

Peter Van Dyke

01/01/2010

As stated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS 1994 & 1996), threats include: Animals: Rats eat fruits and seeds. Feral pigs rood and destroy seedlings Weeds: The remaining trees are found in degraded habitats dominated by non-native pla

Peter Van Dyke

01/01/2010

Seven populations containing 50-65 individuals total are known in the wild. These plants are located on both private and state owned land. (Breugmann 1997 and USFWS 1994) However, since this species is easily cultivated, and may even have been cultivated in traditional Hawai'i, it is difficult to distinguish remnants of truly wild populations from cultivated plants.

Peter Van Dyke

01/01/2010

Peter Van Dyke

01/01/2010

Many old trees are found on private property, in yards and gardens, some neglected, others being watered and cared for. Plants are being restored to areas within their former range at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, as part of a larger habitat restoration project. (Tom Belfield, pers. com. 2001)

Peter Van Dyke

01/01/2010

Fencing, fire breaks, and rat control are needed for unprotected plants. Efforts to prevent the spread of lethal yellow to Hawai'i must be developed and continued.

Peter Van Dyke

01/01/2010

Propagation and maintenance of ex situ plants should continue. More research is needed on long term seed storage techniques.