Beach Morning Glory

Description:

The pohuehue is a woody vine with stems up to 15 feet long and a deep tap root. If the stems are broken by wind or surf, new roots can develop at the nodes along the stems. This vining structure with many root holds allows the pohuehue to hold sand dunes together and prevent beach erosion. The purple or pink morning glory flowers are trumpet shaped and lie close to the ground. The flower petals open only in the cooler morning hours. The leaves are 2-3 inches long, double-lobed, leathery, and shaped like a goat's foot. The vine often grows right down to the high tide line.

Habitat:

Beach at Kualoa Regional Park

Notes:

The native Hawaiians used the seeds, roots and leaves as a cathartic and as a poultice for skin ailments and broken bones. Ancient surfers slapped the stems of the pohuehue on the ocean and chanted to ensure good waves that day.