Ti leaf

Description:

the leaves are green or sometimes purple. The leaves are very big. The stem is thick and zig-zaggy. This plant has no fruit, but the root you can eat. This plant grows to 3-10 feet. The leaves are 30 inches long and 6 inches wide.

Habitat:

Tropical Asia and Australia

Notes:

The boiled roots were brewed into a potent liquor known as 'okolehao. The large, sweet starchy roots were baked and eaten as a dessert. This versatile plant also had many medicinal uses, either alone or as a wrapping for other herbs needing to be steamed or boiled. The ti leaves were wrapped around warm stones to serve as hot packs, used in poultices and applied to fevered brows. A drink from boiled green ti leaves were used to aid nerve and muscle relaxation. Steam from boiled young shoots and leaves made an effective decongestant. The pleasantly fragrant flowers were also used for asthma. Besides its use in healing practices, the large ti leaves became roof thatching, wrappings for cooking food, plates, cups, fishing lures on hukilau nets, woven into sandals, hula skirts, leis and rain capes.