This article by Jodie Rosam was featured in The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs on August 7, 2023.
Pāhala, Hawaiʻi
ʻŌhelo Kai (Lycium sandwicense)
Description: Summer is in full swing, so come on a huakaʻi to the coast and meet my friend, ʻōhelo kai. This short (or prostrate) shrub isindigenous to Hawaiʻi, and also grows on Rapa Nui, Rapa, Mangareva, and Tonga. ʻŌhelo kai is among the few native species in the Solanaceae (or Nightshade) family, and is a cousin to our native ʻaiea and pōpolo. It has cute, bright green succulent leaves, woody light gray stems, and adorable white, pink, or even blue tubular four-petaled flowers, which tend to bloom frequently in the spring and summer. In the later parts of the year, the flowers give way to bright red ripe fruits which contain many small, flat seeds which remain viable (in the refrigerator) for about five years. ʻŌhelo kai is sometimes misidentified as the non-native pickleweed, but can be distinguished from it by its solitary flower and red fruit. I should also note that ʻōhelo kai shares a name with a mauka plant friend, ʻōhelo (Vaccinium reticulatum), which produces delicious red, yellow, or orange berries (a nēnē favorite), but these two species are part of entirely different families (ʻōhelo is in the Ericaceae family, a close relative to blueberries).
Uses: Unlike many Solanaceae, the tiny tomato-like fruits of ʻōhelo kai are not poisonous, and can be eaten. They pack a salty punch, and make a nice addition to some fresh poke (and you might as well add in some ʻākulikuli leaves, too!). The fruits were also strung together with kaunaʻoa to make a gorgeously colorful coastal lei.
Habitat: ʻŌhelo kai can be found on all of the main Hawaiian islands on dry, coastal sites (at less than 150 feet elevation receiving little annual rainfall). They can be found on cinder, sand, coral, and rocky substrates and although they are drought-tolerant (and actually prefer drought conditions rather than very wet ones), they are a main component around anchialine pools (though you will not find them submerged like you would ʻākulikuli). You can find ʻōhelo kai sparsely scattered along the coast of most (if not all) of the ahupuaʻa across Kaʻū moku, from Manukā to Keauhou.
Growing and Purchasing: The best way to grow ʻōhelo kai is to collect a few ripe fruits and separate the pulp from the seeds, allow the seeds to air dry, and then mimic their natural growing conditions (they do great in beach sand or coral rubble, or in a perlite and black cinder mix). Rather than planting the seeds in the media, sow them on the surface and give them a gentle watering. Keep the pots out of full sun and water them lightly every day while they are germinating (which should take about a week or so). Once they begin to sprout, be sure to cut back on your watering regime because the seedlings are susceptible to root-rotting fungi. Within a few months, your homegrown ʻōhelo kai will be ready to plant in a sunny space, and you likely will only need to water it weekly. Remember, plants love having friends around, so consider planting your ʻōhelo kai with its coastal buddies like hinahina, naio papa, ʻilima, maiapilo, pāʻū o Hiʻiaka, and naupaka for a full coastal experience in your own garden.
Painting shared courtesy of Joan Yoshioka. You can also find her work on Instagram by following @joanyoshioka.
