Today, wild loulu lelo are restricted primarily to Huelo Islet, a seastack rising about 200 feet above the ocean off the windward coast of Molokaʻi (Photograph courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr.) along with a few additional palms on the nearby islet of Mōkapu. Pritchardia hillebrandii has a long history of cultivation and there are numerous online photographs of cultivated plants (see the Palmpedia website). However, because of the unknown parentage of some of these cultivated Pritchardia, I decided to only repost photographs taken by Kenneth R. Wood NTBG (CC BY-NC 4.0) on Huelo Islet to ensure you are actually looking at true loulu lelo. The final photograph (courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 3.0 US) is of a young cultivated loulu lelo since I was unable to find any photographs of young wild plants. In the Header are numerous loulu seedlings and seeds beneath a cultivated loulu leo; however, because Pritchardia species can cross-pollinate, it is by no means certain that these seedlings (or seeds) are genetically pure P. hillebrandii.

Growth Requirements

Please read Pests and Diseases below before the General section.

General

    Use loulu lelo as an accent in the landscape, or plant three or five in a cluster (about ten feet [3 m] apart) to ultimately create a shaded space.

    Pritchardia hillebrandii grows best in a site with full sunlight for most of the day. Young loulu lelo in the wild often have to survive with less light (because of the surrounding palms), so this is true of cultivated loulu lelo as well. However, avoid planting your P. hillebrandii in a location with constant or heavy shade because it will languish (i.e., grow very, very slowly) there. 

    While loulu lelo will grow in the hot dry lowlands, it must be regularly watered in such locations. Water your palm enough to keep the subsurface soil moist at all times in order to avoid any drought stress.

    Pritchardia hillebrandii, unlike its fast-growing sibling P. remota, typically grows slowly (a foot or so per year) and, therefore, takes a long time to get tall. We have only ever grown loulu lelo in cinder, clay, or organic-dominant soils that drained water well. We and others have grown P. remota in sandy soils; therefore, it would be interesting to see if P. hillebrandii can also grow in sand. Both species can endure windstorms. Adapted to growing near the ocean, loulu leo is salt spray tolerant.

    Fertilizing loulu can be a bit tricky, particularly if it is kept in a container. Use a complete fertilizer with minor elements specifically formulated for palms. Be sure that both magnesium and potassium are present in the fertilizer, since magnesium and potassium deficiencies are the two most serious nutritional disorders with palms. These deficiencies are characterized by yellowing (chlorosis) of the frond's edges, yellow streaking, or the entire frond turning yellow. Adding Epsom salt (MgSO4·7H2O) or magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) to the media or soil can help, but these chemicals wash away quickly. There are some very good controlled-release fertilizer spikes made specifically for palms that contain a good balance of minor elements along with magnesium and potassium — look for these at your local garden shop or online.

    To keep your loulu lelo looking tidy, you can remove any dead fronds or old fruit stalks, but be careful not to damage the trunk or the crown. Palms only have a single growing tip within the crown, which if accidentally removed or severely damaged will cause the ultimate death of the plant. Also, avoid pruning any live fronds because this can cause stress and invite serious pests like the Banana moth (Opogona sacchari) (see Pests and Diseases below). However, because loulu flowers attract bees, you may want to remove the inflorescences early for safety.

    Pritchardia hillebrandii has the potential to hybridize with other Pritchardia species, both native and non-native. Therefore, if you intend to collect fruits from your loulu lelo to grow new plants or give away to others, it is essential that you follow a strict protocol to prevent cross-pollination with other surrounding palms. Do this by securely placing a heavy-duty paper bag around the entire inflorescence just before the flowers begin to open. Use a paper bag, not a mesh bag, because palms can be wind pollinated. Periodically, open the bag to inspect the condition of the flowers and to hand-pollinate between them, then re-close the bag. When ALL the flowers are spent (i.e., have fallen off or are beginning to develop into a fruit), you can safely remove the bag and let the fruits develop to maturity. 

Pests and Diseases

    Before 2013, growing and maintaining any of Hawai‘i's endemic species of loulu was not difficult. That all changed with the accidental introduction and establishment in 2013 of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB; Oryctes rhinoceros) on O‘ahu because of inadequate governmental (i.e., DOD) safeguards and responses. Today (2025), this lethal pest is out of control on O‘ahu, may now be established on Kaua‘i, and has the potential to spread to the other Hawaiian Islands; in addition to O‘ahu and Kaua‘i, there have been sightings on Maui and Hawai‘i Island. We will not here re-describe the history of CRB in Hawai‘i. If you are interested, we encourage you to visit the CRB Response website or the HISP website for the most up-to-date information. There is also a recent (Dec 2025) article in Honolulu Civil Beat, Battling A Voracious Beetle In The Invasive Species Capital Of The World by Leilani Combs, that is very informative.

    Rather, we want to provide you with what we think are some still viable options if you decide to grow Pritchardia hillebrandii (or any of the other Hawaiian Pritchardia).

1. If you live outside Hawai‘i, please, PLEASE, consider growing one or more of our endemic loulu. Hawaiian loulu can survive and grow in places like California [Palmpedia] and other warm temperate to subtropical places around the world. They are beautiful and unique fan palms, and this is one way you can directly help with their preservation. Since loulu plants and seeds can be difficult to obtain — PLEASE don't ask us for seeds or plants since we don't have the necessary resources or permits  — we encourage you to contact a professional botanical garden in your area for help. Most botanical gardens are part of a worldwide network that facilitates the sharing of seeds, etc. Normally, this sharing is limited to between garden exchanges. However, we still encourage you to convince your local Garden's staff of the sincerity of your desire to help. 

2. If you live on a Hawaiian Island other than O‘ahu or Kaua‘i, consider growing not only the loulu species endemic to your Island, but also an O‘ahu or Kaua‘i endemic such as Pritchardia martii. However, keep in mind that your loulu may be safe for now, but not in the future, and, therefore, you might want to immediately opt for the alternatives described in #3 below.

3. If you live on O‘ahu or Kaua‘i, try the following: 

• Grow your loulu in a container and keep it in a greenhouse if you have one or in your home near a very sunny window. Loulu, particularly the slower-growing species like Pritchardia hillebrandii, can survive a long time by being sequentially transferred to larger and larger containers. Hopefully, by the time your loulu is too large for your greenhouse or home, scientists will have discovered an effective defense against CRB, and you can start thinking about where in your yard you would like to plant your house-trained loulu.

•  Plant your loulu in a site as high (elevation-wise) and wet as possible. CRB seems to prefer warmer drier locations. Therefore, a wet mountain retreat may be safe enough to try growing a loulu outside. Additionally, the more isolated your place is (i.e., far away from other palms), the safer your loulu will be.

• Completely cover your loulu with mesh netting (¼- to ½-inch is probably best, but must be purchased online) or at least the central growing tip of your loulu to prevent any CRB from chewing into the palm. This really isn't a great option, but we thought we should include it all the same. Other options, such as treating your loulu with systemic or contact insecticides or deterring sprays, also really don't work very well (if at all) and are labor-intensive. 

    Before CRB, perhaps the most serious pest of Pritchardia in Hawai‘i was the Banana moth (Opogona sacchari). While we have never encountered this insect on any of our loulu, Nelson & Wright [2005] describe the fatal damage the Banana moth can inflict. Adult females lay their eggs on wounded or compromised loulu tissue where the larvae bore into and then feed on the damaged and living tissue. Stressed loulu, because of mechanical injury (e.g., pruning living fronds), nutrient deficiencies, drought, etc., are most vulnerable to attack. In addition to avoiding these stresses, Nelson & Wright recommend using pyrethroids and Bt. We suspect a systemic insecticide might also be effective.    

    Less serious and only occasional pests on loulu include mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites, and whiteflies (which usually infest the undersurface of the fronds). However, the whiteflies can easily be kept in check with a forceful spray of water from a garden hose to wash them off. Lastly, rats will eat loulu fruits. Refer to the Pests & Diseases page for ways to deal with these pests. 

Special Features and Information

General

    Arecaceae currently has around 2,600 species within 181 genera worldwide, most restricted to tropical and subtropical areas, with some species like the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) being cultivated for more than 5,000 years. Many palms are used extensively, with some being of great economic importance [WikipediA;Arecaceae]. 

    There are 23 species of Pritchardia endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, with most limited in range to a single island [Flora of the Hawaiian Islands].

    Fossil evidence shows that loulu were once widespread throughout the Hawaiian islands, including the lowlands. However, following human habitation and the introduction of rats (that eat the seeds), populations began to decline. By the time of Captain Cook's arrival in 1778, the lowlands had been greatly modified with settlements and there are few mentions of native Pritchardia by early European and American botanists [Chapin et al. 2004].

Hawaiian Name

    Loulu (pronounced low-loo) is the Hawaiian name for all the native species of Pritchardia in Hawai‘i. At times, it has been misspelled as loʻulu. However, loʻulu (with an ʻokina) is the name of the endemic Hawaiian fern Coniogramme pilosa. Loulu is also the name of a species of filefish (Alutera monoceros), perhaps because its greenish-white skin resembles the texture and color of a loulu's fronds. The fish was used in sorcery to cause death because the name contains the word lou, meaning "to hook." Lastly, loulu was the name for a type of heiau said to be constructed to prevent epidemics, famine, or destruction. Noulu is a spelling variation of loulu [Pukui & Elbert 1986].

    Hawaiians used loulu fronds to shield themselves from the rain. Therefore, it is not surprising that when Hawaiians first saw European, American, and Asian umbrellas, they immediately started calling these new devices loulu. Both hāwane and wāhane refer to the fruit or nut of a loulu, but can also refer to the palm itself. Hāwane is also the name of a small red limu (seaweed; Polysiphonia spp.) [Pukui & Elbert 1986].

    Loulu lelo, translated as "yellowish loulu," is the specific Hawaiian name for this species [Pukui & Elbert 1986], perhaps referring to its abundant golden-yellow flowers. 

Etymology

    Pritchardia is named for William Thomas Pritchard (1829–1907), the first British consul in Fiji, adventurer, and author of Polynesian Reminiscences in 1866 [Hodel 2012]. The species name, hillebrandii, honors William Hillebrand (1821–1886), a Prussian physician and plant collector who lived in Hawai‘i. Hillebrand planted many of the plants he collected at Queen's Hospital and on his own property in Nuʻuanu, O‘ahu. After moving back to Germany, the property was sold to his neighbors, Thomas & Mary Foster. Today, the site is known as Foster Botanical Gardens [Meier 2005].