Kī, Lāʻī or Ti Leaf

Description:

The ti leaf plant can also be known as the good luck tree. Hawaiians believed that it would keep them safe from harmful spirits. It is a Polynesian native plant and it was used for many medicinal purposes. It is used to wrap food or medicines that needed to be cooked or boiled. Hawaiians would also respect the god Lono by putting these leaves on the tip of his heiau. The roots are edible but not commonly eaten. The stem is thick and woody and grows upward. The widths could vary from 5-7.5 cm. The leaves are broad and smooth. They contain a parallel ventilation. They are green and the size can vary from 7.5-12cm. The leaves will survive on the plants for 3 weeks. There are flowers that turn from white to purple. However, they aren't commonly seen. In the red ti leaf there are red berries.

Habitat:

The natural habitat of ti leaves are in very wet and moist areas such as the rain forest. The neighborhood that the plant in the picture was found in is very wet and moist.

Notes:

These plants are very useful and they are very common in Hawaiʻi. I am not sure if there are any in the bigger states.