Cotton. These days, many are striving to forsake “plastic” clothing; that made of byproducts of petroleum and other chemical processes, including polyesters. Linen, silk, and cotton are fabrics that are viewed as “natural,” and can be manufactured and dyed with relative ease.
But in the case of cottons, not all are equal. Our shrubby maʻo Hawaiʻi (Gossypium tomentosum), whose fibers are too short, cannot be spun into thread, and, curiously, is found naturally throughout our fair isles, except on Hawaiʻi. Taller maʻo haole, with its fluffy white fiber, has been grown in Hawaiʻi since the early 1800s, and still survives, especially on dry leeward slopes.
Our endemic maʻo is processed into dye for kapa, though different archival references share different information. Lau? Pua? Yellow? Green? Light? Dark? Fugitive (short-lived)? Long lasting? What additives? Experimentation and record-keeping are critical in sorting out confusions.
A good thing is that maʻo is easy to grow, and, with its bright, yellow pua, grey-green leaves, and smallish footprint, it makes an attractive addition to gardens, especially in droughty lee areas.
