Decades ago, a few friends and I Willy’s-jeeped it to northwest Oʻahu, when one could drive around Kaʻena from Mākua and get to Mokulēʻia. The wildness was familiar and soothing.
Being curious, we wandered paths at Ka Lae, and encountered billows of what turned out to be ʻōhai (Sesbania tomentosa) – another one of our variable endemic plants, ranging from shrubs to small trees, with pua of peach, salmon, red, and even yellow. And in the sun, the warm lau smell (depending on your preference) like peaches or nectarines.
Clusters of a few flowers hide under a canopy of silvery leaves, their white hairs helping deflect harsh sunlight. I couldnʻt resist and started picking. Carefully, one by one, till I had what turned out to be enough for a maunaloa-style lei. I wore it to campus, and no one commented. Did they know? I still wonder.
Unlike our cherished kumulāʻau ʻāpaʻakuma (endemic trees), ʻōhai have a preciously short lifespan; 10 years, more or less. But being averse to rainy weather, they are a perfect companion on leeward shores and slopes where conserving wai is critical.
