Kukui Nut - Candlenut

Description:

Aleurites moluccanus, also commonly known as candlenut or kukui nut is a flowering tree in the spurge family. The plant had a brown trunk and distinvtly shaped brown leaves. Brown colored nuts were also found on the tree. The tree was about 30 ft tall.

Habitat:

This plant is found throughout the tropics around the world. It can be found on all of the main 8 Hawaiian islands. This particular plant was found in Kapalama, Hawaiʻi.

Notes:

The kukui was introduced to Hawaiʻi by early polynesian settlers. The kukui nut contains a high amount of oil, so it was commonly used for candles. The meat of the nut was also used in numerous Hawaiian dishes. Dyes and medicines could also be made using various parts of the tree.