Pritchardia martii
Arecaceae or Palm family
Synonyms: Eupritchardia gaudichaudii, Eupritchardia martii, Livistona gaudichaudii, Livistona martii, Pritchardia gaudichaudii, Pritchardia kahanae, Pritchardia kahukuensis, Pritchardia kamapuaana, Pritchardia macdanielsii, Pritchardia martioides, Pritchardia rockiana, Styloma gaudichaudii, Washingtonia gaudichaudii, Washingtonia martii
Loulu hiwa
Hāwane, Loulu, Noulu, Wāhane
Martius's loulu, Koʻolau Range pritchardia
Natural Range & Environment
Pritchardia martii is endemic to Oʻahu, where it grows nearly the entire length of the Koʻolau Mountain Range. It is found in a variety of habitats including: mesic to wet low scrubby forests, exposed grassy areas, steep rocky slopes and cliffs, as well as protected ravines and along streams (where it tends to be taller) from 1,000 to 2,700 feet (305 to 823 m). There is also a small relic population in the southern Wai‘anae Mountain Range near Palikea (discovered in the 1980s). Fossil evidence indicates that loulu (species unclear) once grew in the plains between the two mountain ranges, at least along the southern edge, and this might explain P. martii's now disjunct distribution. Loulu hiwa is by far the most abundant native Hawaiian Pritchardia, numbering about 10,000 plants in the wild. Still, it is considered a Species of Concern by the US Fish & Wildlife Service because of the numerous threats it faces (e.g., habitat degradation, rats (that eat the seeds), pigs, goats, deer, and now (potentially) the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB; Oryctes rhinoceros; see Pests and Diseases below) [Hodel 2012].
Check out this YouTube short by Birds in the Backyard to see Prichardia martii in its natural habitat. Also, another great place to see photographs (worldwide) and learn more about our endemic Hawaiian loulu is the Palmpedia website.
Bees seem to be particularly attracted to Pritchardia martii flowers. These immature loulu hiwa fruits would have grown even larger (up to two inches [5 cm] long) before they mature and turn black; Pritchardia martii has, perhaps, the largest fruits of all the Hawaiian loulu (Photograph courtesy of Susan Fawcett CC BY-NC 4.0). The undersurface of loulu hiwa fronds are sometimes densely covered with tiny scales making them appear silver to bronze (Photograph courtesy of thatplantguy CC BY-NC 4.0). Three cultivated loulu hiwa: juvenile, young mature (i.e., reproductive), and older mature (Photograph of juvenile courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 2.0; photograph of older mature courtesy of Bill Chang ©.).
Description
With 23 unique Hawaiian species (and the known existence of hybrids), it's difficult for a layperson (like us) to definitively identify a Pritchardia species, particularly one growing outside its natural habitat (i.e., cultivated). Therefore, whenever proper identification is crucial, you should seek the help of an expert. With this said, below, we have highlighted (in italic) some of the defining morphological features of Pritchardia martii (based on Hodel's [2012] description and our own observations).
Pritichardia martii can look quite different depending on where it is growing. For example, on the cold windswept slopes of the upper Ko‘olau's, this palm is very short with a compact crown (see YouTube video above). In contrast, in sheltered and heavily forested ravines, loulu hiwa can be more than 30 feet (9 m) tall with fronds stretching out nearly eight feet (2.5 m) on either side of its one-foot (30 cm) diameter trunk.
Adult Pritchardia martii have a smooth gray trunk with 20 to 30 ascending, spreading, and drooping slightly wavy to mostly flat blades that are about equal in length and width to the leaves' stalks. The blades are glossy green on their upper surface and usually covered with silvery to bronze scales on their lower surface; the visibility of these scales can differ depending on the palm's age and origin. The blade's outer edge usually has stiff tips.
The inflorescences of loulu hiwa have up to four short to moderately long primary branches that are shorter than to about equal in length to the palm's leaf stalks. Each inflorescence has dozens of small tubular orange-yellow perfect (bisexual) flowers; however, far fewer of these develop into fruits. The shiny single-seeded elliptical to spherical fruits enlarge up to two inches (5 cm) long, turning black when mature. Wild loulu hiwa appear to have an ill-defined blooming period, often with side-by-side plants in different flower-to-fruit stages.
Growth Requirements
Please read Pests and Diseases below before the General section.
General
Even though Pritchardia martii is the most common loulu in Hawai‘i, this beautiful fan palm is rarely available commercially (maybe because its fruits take such a long time to develop and the rats get them before collectors do?) Therefore, we encourage you not to hesitate in snatching one up if you see them for sale. Use loulu hiwa 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 martii grows best in a site with full sunlight for most of the day. Young loulu hiwa in the wild often have to survive with less light (because of the surrounding trees), so this is true of cultivated loulu hiwa as well. However, avoid planting your P. martii in a location with constant or heavy shade because it will languish (i.e., grow very, very slowly) there.
Pritchardia martii, unlike its fast-growing (and more commercially available) sibling P. remota, typically grows slowly (a foot or less per year) and, therefore, takes a very long time to get tall. Two more differences between these two species are their preferred temperature and water needs. Loulu hiwa does best at cooler temperatures (i.e., higher elevations) with its roots in constantly moist soil or media. In contrast, P. remota grows best in warmer places (i.e., coastal and lowland areas) and is more drought tolerant. This is not to say that you can't grow P. martii at low elevations, but only that you need to be more mindful of its need for water. We have only ever grown loulu hiwa 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. martii can also grow in sand. Both species can endure windstorms.
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 hiwa looking tidy, 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. Because loulu flowers attract bees, you may want to remove the inflorescences for safety.
Pritchardia martii has the potential to hybridize with other Pritchardia species, both native and non-native. Therefore, if you intend to collect fruits from your loulu hiwa 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 23 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.
Rather, we want to provide you with what we think are some still viable options if you decide to grow Pritchardia martii (or any of the other Hawaiian Pritchardia).
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.
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.
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 martii, 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) 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, loulu had few pest or disease problems. Occasionally, mealybugs, scale insects, or whiteflies would infest the undersurface of the fronds. However, these could be easily kept in check with a forceful spray of water from a garden hose to wash them off.
Uses
Ancient Hawaiian
The following is a summary of loulu uses as described by Hodel [2012].
Loulu leaves, called lau hāwane, were used primarily for thatching hale (house) roofs. They were also used to build small temporary seasonal heiau to appease the gods and improve fishing [Abbott 1992]. The leaves may have been used for fans, umbrellas, hats, and baskets. However, these uses were likely uncommon until after contact (1778) when visitors and traders began demanding these products.
Hawaiians fashioned spears from loulu trunks. The trunks were also likely used for construction (e.g., posts) because of their uniform size and durability.
Loulu fruits, called hāwane or wāhane, were peeled, and the seeds' endosperm eaten. The texture and flavor are similar to coconut. Loulu trunks were notched to facilitate climbing to harvest the fruits and fronds. Older loulu still bear notches that can be seen today. Seeds were also likely used for lei.
Loulu were frequently cultivated around homes, further indicating their importance to Hawaiians.
Modern
In addition to landscaping, loulu fronds are used for hats and fans, while the seeds are made into lei [Center for Plant Conservation] [Ide 2000]. Loulu extracts are used in skincare products [Loulu Hawai‘i].
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]. Pritchardia martii was the first native Hawaiian loulu to be given a scientific name [Hodel 2012].
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].
Pritchardia martii has the specific name loulu hiwa, meaning "dark loulu." Pukui & Elbert [1986] note the word hiwa as being "Entirely black, ...a desirable blackness" when used in connection with eatables such as ʻawa hiwa (an ‘awa with back stems), niu hiwa (a coconut with a dark green husk and black shell) and hiwa kai (a black lava salt). Perhaps the name loulu hiwa, therefore, is in reference to its large blackish fruits.
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, martii, is named for Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794 – 1868), a German palm botanist, explorer, and author of Flora Brasiliensis (1840 – 1906) [Hodel 2012].
BPK