Senna gaudichaudii
Fabaceae or Pea family [Five-minute families]
Synonyms: Cassia gaudichaudii, Cassia glanduligera, Psilorhegma gaudichaudii, Senna glanduligera
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Kolomona
Heuhiuhi, Kalamona, Uhiuhi
Blunt-leaved senna, Climbing senna, Gaudichaud's senna
Natural Range & Environment
Senna gaudichaudii is found in much of the Pacific Basin. Different sources (i.e., Wagner et al. [1990], Kew Royal Botanic Gardens) list slightly different places outside Hawai‘i where this species is indigenous. However, within Hawai‘i, we will rely on Wagner et al. [1990] when they state that S. gaudichaudii is indigenous to all the main Hawaiian Islands except Ni‘ihau.
In Hawai‘i, Senna gaudichaudii is found growing in a variety of mostly dry habitats, including talus slopes, lava flows, rocky sites in coastal shrubland, disturbed hala forests, dry forests, and the lower section of mesic forests, from 5 to 920 m (16 to 3,018 ft) [Wagner et al. 1990]. In my (Koebele) experience, wild kolomona are never a dominant plant within its habitats.
Kolomona produces clusters of greenish white perfect (bisexual) flowers that develop into long flat pods (Pods photograph courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 3.0.). While Senna gaudichaudii does rarely have PALE YELLOW flowers in some places, this IS NOT what they look like! These are the BRIGHT YELLOW flowers of the Scrambled egg bush (Senna surattensis), one of several alien Senna species introduced to Hawai‘i that have become naturalized in wild spaces and is sometimes mistaken for our native kolomona (Photograph courtesy of Mokkie CC BY-SA 3.0.). A mature and flowering cultivated kolomona (Photograph courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 3.0 US.). Kolomona can vary in stature as these two wild plants show: an upright form on Maui (Photograph courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 3.0.); and a prostrate form on Kaho‘olawe (Photograph courtesy of Kenneth R. Wood (NTBG) CC BY-NC 4.0.).
Description
Kolomoma is most often a subshrub or shrub, but occasionally can become a small tree in mesic areas. While it matures quickly under cultivation, it is also a relatively long-lived plant, living about ten years or more in a landscape.
The compound leaves of kolomona have anywhere from 3 to 6 oppositely paired elliptical leaflets. The dull leaves have an upper surface that can be light to dark green while the lower surface is always lighter than the upper surface. The leaves are most often hairless but not always so.
Kolomona produces clusters of perfect (bisexual) five-petaled flowers with the sepals being greener than the greenish white petals. There are reports of kolomona flowers with pale yellow or reddish tinged petals, but I (Koebele) have never seen these in Hawai‘i. Wild kolomona usually flower just once during the wetter winter months; however, cultivated plants can bloom repeatedly year-round.
Pollinated flowers develop first into curved green pods that quickly straighten, widen, and then turn brown and dry when ripe. Pods are often attacked by an unidentified borer(s) that eats the seeds. (To prevent this from happening, secure a fine-mesh net bag (e.g., favor bag) early around the still young green pods. Within each mature broad and flat pod are a few to several shiny reddish brown flattened seeds. Because the pods remain attached to the plant for a long time, it's not unusual to see kolomona decorated with both open flowers and mature pods.
Growth Requirements
General
Kolomona isn't as showy as most of its alien sister Senna species. It's not in danger of imminent extinction. And, it wasn't terribly important to Hawaiians culturally. So, it's not surprising that kolomona has been frequently overlooked in the past when making landscape choices. Still, we hope you will be the exception and decide to incorporate this demure and easy-to-grow shrub into your landscape. Use kolomona as an accent, or planted en masse (about 3 feet (1 m) apart) as an informal hedge or screen. It can also be kept as a container plant.
Kolomona does best in a site with full sunlight for all or most of the day. However, it can also tolerate some shading but may not flower as much or as often under shaded conditions.
When first planted, water your kolomona about once a week for one to two months until it's established and shows new growth. Then, cut back dramatically on your watering. In most places, you will only need to water your plant during periods of drought since kolomona is adapted to grow wild in many very dry places. Let the plant's foliage be your guide. If the compound leaves of your kolomona start to yellow and drop away, you are either watering too little or too much.
Kolomona will grow in cinder-rich, as well as organic- and clay-dominant soils; we have not tried to grow it in coralline or sandy soils. Your soil (or the media of containerized kolomona) should drain water extremely well. If it doesn't, try mounding up the soil to let gravity help with the drainage. Kolomona is tolerant of drought, extreme heat, and strong winds. We don't know for certain if it can tolerate salt spray; however, on Kaho‘olawe, it grows quite close to the ocean.
Kolomona grows quickly, and in about a year your plant should be about three feet (1 m) tall and wide and begin flowering. Kolomona often doesn't get much larger than this in the following years, perhaps because it spends most of its energy and resources on flowers and fruits. Plants in the ground don't require fertilizer. For containerized kolomona, apply a balanced controlled-release fertilizer every six months, or foliar feed your plant every other month with an organic or inorganic water-soluble fertilizer at ⅓ to ¼ the recommended strength.
Kolomona grows naturally in an attractive rounded shape, so pruning is normally not required. However, it is also sometimes attacked by black twig borers, and, therefore, any dying branches should be promptly removed and destroyed to prevent further spread of this pest.
Pests and Diseases
In the landscape, aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites, and thrips occasionally infest kolomona, usually near the growing tips. When your plant is still small, these pests are more deadly. However, in most cases, natural predators (e.g., lacewings, ladybird beetles) will eliminate these pests without intervention. Of course, a more proactive approach of repeated sprayings of insecticidal soap or horticultural oil will also eliminate these pests. Black twig borers sometimes attack kolomona, but rarely with fatal consequences. Refer to the Pests & Diseases page for ways to deal with all the above-mentioned pests.
Uses
Ancient and Post-contact Hawaiian
Mathew Manakō Tanaka, a Hawaiian Language student, dismayed after reading I had no story for kolomona on my Native Hawaiian Garden website, decided to do some research of his own. Searching through a database of old Hawaiian newspapers, Mathew found several references to kolomona flowers being used in lei. He also found an interesting reference to post-contact Hawaiians making ‘ōpelu fishing nets from kolomona rather than the traditional ‘ūlei (Osteomeles anthyllidifolia). Thanks Manakō.
Modern
Today, kolomona flowers are still used in lei [McDonald & Weissich. 2003].
Special Features and Information
General
Fabaceae contains numerous agriculturally important plants, and is the third-largest plant family in number of species, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with about 765 genera and nearly 20,000 known species. The family has an essentially worldwide distribution, with species being found everywhere except Antarctica and the high Arctic. Trees are most common in tropical regions, while herbaceous plants and shrubs are predominant outside the tropics [WikipediA;Fabaceae].
Senna is a large genus of 260 to 350 species with most species native to the tropics. About 50 species are cultivated, with some used as ornamentals while others are used medicinally or as food agents [WikipediA; Senna]. In Hawai‘i, several Senna species have been introduced as ornamentals and have become naturalized in wild spaces. Some of these Senna have also been given the name kolomona [Flora of the Hawaiian Islands], leading to occasional confusion regarding field identifications.
Hawaiian Name
Unfortunately, some of the alien Senna species introduced to Hawai‘i have been given the name kolomona [Flora of the Hawaiian Islands]. The name uhiuhi is shared with the endangered Mezoneuron kavaiense.
Etymology
Senna is the Latinized form of the Arabic word sanā, referring to plants with laxative properties [Gledhill 2008]. The species name, gaudichaudii, is in honor of the French botanist Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré (1789–1854), who made some of the first descriptions and collections of Hawaiian flora [St. John & Titcomb 1983].
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