Charpentiera obovata
Amaranthaceae or Amaranth family
Synonyms: Charpentiera obovata f. grandifolia, Charpentiera obovata f. parvifolia
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Pāpala
Broadleaf papala
Natural Range & Environment
On all of the main islands of Hawaii except Ni`ihau and Kaho`olawe.
Pāpala are known to grow in mesic to sometimes wet forest from over 620 to around 5740 feet.
This pāpala is from Kauaʻi, Oʻahu (Waiʻanae Mountains; Koʻolau Mountains), Lānaʻi, East Molokaʻi, West and East Maui, and Hawaiʻi. It is apparently most abundant in the Waiʻanae Mountains.
Charpentiera obovata is fairly common in parts of the Waiʻanae Mountains. In the Koʻolau Mountains it is rare, and only observed from a single location in Maunawili on the windward (northern) side of the southeastern part of the mountain range and in several locations in Wailupe on the leeward (southern) side of the same part of the mountain range. In the Waiʻanae Mountains C. obovata hybridizes extensively with C. tomentosa, while in the Koʻolau Mountains their ranges are largely non-overlapping. [Joel Lau, Botanist]
The long branching inflorescences of pāpala, with their tiny flowers, can be anywhere from off-white to yellow to dark red (Photograph of light-colored inflorescence courtesy of Joel Lau ©; photograph of red inflorescence courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 2.0.). The young leaves of pāpala are often reddish, turning light green as they mature (Photograph of new leaves emerging from trunk courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 2.0.) Pāpala leaves have a prominent rib on their margin, most visible on their lower surface (Photograph courtesy of Joel Lau ©.). In the wild, pāpala may not be the prettiest trees. However, when cultivated they can be stunning. Photographs of old wild pāpala at Auwahi, Maui, with Kim Starr (courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 2.0), and younger cultivated tree at Haiku, Maui (courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 3.0 US).
Description
Tree, Small, 15 to 30
Tree, Medium, 30 to 50
Long lived (Greater than 5 years)
Leaves ranges from 1 to 5 inches long.
Red
White
Yellow
Tiny yellow or red flowers grow on 5 to 20 branches with 5 to 20 flowers per branch. While the flowers themselves are insignificant, when combined with the yellow or red stems (panicles), pāpala presents a showy display of inflorescence.
Blooming Period
Year Round
Sporadic
Growth Requirements
General
Accent
Hedges
Pāpala are known to be heavy feeders. An application of a balanced slow release fertilize with minor elements every 6 months. Foliar feed monthly with kelp or fish emulsion, or a water-soluble fertilizer with a dilution of one half to one third of recommended strength. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Moist
Does best with good moisture.
Soil must be well drained
Full sun
Partial sun
Tolerates full sun, but does best in partial shade.
Soils
Cinder
Organic
Pests and Diseases
Pāpala is prone to aphids, spider mites, root mealy bugs and scale infestations.
Uses
Ancient Hawaiian
The wood is very light when dried and will burn like paper. [2] The Hawaiian name pāpala originated from a practice on Kauaʻi. Formerly on the north coast of Kauaʻi, Hawaiians most often used the flammable pāpala wood as firebrand. During times when the strong winds swept out to the sea, they would throw burning pieces from cliffs which floated along on the winds. When the fire would reach the center of the wood sparks shot out like fiery rockets in what must have been an impressive display. This sport was called ʻōahi. [1,3]
Additional References
[1] "Plants in Hawaiian Culture" by Beatrice H. Krauss, pages 95-96.[2] "The Indigenous Trees of the Hawaiian Islands" by Joseph F. Rock, page 139.
[3] "Auwahi: Ethnobotany of a Hawaiian Dryland Forest" by A.C. Medeiros, C.F. Davenport & C.G. Chimera, page 15.
[4] Wianecki, S. (2012, July 1). Papala | Charpentiera obovata. Maui No Ka ʻOi Magazine. Retrieved July 3, 2025, from MauiMagazine.net website: Papala | Charpentiera obovata article.
Modern
Special Features and Information
General
Pāpala belong to the Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae). There are six species of Charpentiera, five endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and one, C. australis, found in the Austral (Tubuai and Raivavae) and Cook Islands (Rarotonga).
Other native Hawaiian family members include four other species in the same genus Charpentiera, a rare and little known amaranth (Amaranthus brownii) from Nīhoa, ʻāweoweo (Chenopodium oahuense), three species of Achyranthes, and three species of kuluʻī (Nototrichium spp.).
This species of pāpala (Charpentiera obovata) is a host plant for an endemic long-horned beetle (Plagithmysus elegans).
Hawaiian Name
Hāpuʻu is the common Hawaiian name for all four species of native Cibotium, while two of the species, C. glaucum and C. menziesii have additional Hawaiian names [Palmer 2003]. Little & Skolmen [1989] use the names hapu‘u-‘i‘i, hei‘i, and hapu‘u ii for C. chamissoi.
In modern times, to help with the proper pronunciation, Ulukau recommends that hāpuʻu be spelled with a kahakō over the "a" (ā).
Etymology
The generic name Charpentiera was given by French botanist Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré (1789-1854) and named in memory of a 19th-century naval pharmacist and professor named Charpentier. [4]
The specific epithet is from the Latin obovata, conidial, in reference the shape to the spoon- to egg-shaped leaves.
Additional References
[1] "Plants in Hawaiian Culture" by Beatrice H. Krauss, pages 95-96.
[2] "The Indigenous Trees of the Hawaiian Islands" by Joseph F. Rock, page 139.
[3] "Auwahi: Ethnobotany of a Hawaiian Dryland Forest" by A.C. Medeiros, C.F. Davenport & C.G. Chimera, page 15.
[4] "Annales maritimes et coloniales" by Ministère de la marine et des colonies, Volume 2, Part 2, page 953.
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