Ka'akepa Niu

The Coconut Palm, whose scientific name is Cocos nucifera, is a member of the Palm family (Arecaceae) that grows in Tropical and Subtropical coastal regions. It is a ringed single trunk tree that can live for upwards of 100 years, grows up to 80 feet tall and produces a fruit that is a drupe that contains a seed that is commonly known as the "coconut" but is known to native Hawaiians as the niu (pronounced nee-yoo). The tree itself has up to 30 leaves that are up to 12-18 feet long and have numerous long slender leaflets.

The Coconut Palm has a long life cycle, that begins with the niu itself. In elevations close to sea level (below 150 feet) the seed of the niu spends up to 9 months germinating and preparing itself to sprout from the fruit itself. Once the roots sprout they take several weeks to fully take root, the Coconut Palm will then grow 2-3 feet within a few months; this is where the process starts to slow down. From this point, a Coconut Palm will continue to grow until it is up to 6 years old, where it will start to flower. These flowers grow in clusters near the top of the tree and develop in phases, the male flowers open first, and soon after the female flowers will open as well and the plant will be open to fertilization. Once fertilized, the niu will grow and take 9 months to a year in order to reach full maturity. As it matures, the color of the niu itself will change from a bright green color to a dark brown color to indicate level of maturity. The niu is large, roughly the size of a mans head and are heavy, weighing up to 4 pounds and when it is mature, it will fall from the heights of the Coconut Palm and start the process over again. Even though Coconut Palm will begin producing fruit as soon as 6 years old, it will not reach its full production until 15 years old. Considering all of this, the complete life cycle of the Coconut Palm is not a quick one.

When considering the niu itself, there are two varieties the niu kafa and the niu vai. The niu kafa is representative of the type of niu produced from the non-domesticated form of the Coconut Palm; it is more angular, elongated and has a small egg shaped nut in a thicker outer husk. The niu vai is the domesticated type of niu and has a larger spherical fruit and the nut is also both more spherical and larger than that of the niu kafa variety.

The niu is of huge significance to the Native Hawaiian people, and for good reason. While the exact origin of the niu on the Hawaiian islands is uncertain, it is often said that the seed itself could float long distances, up to 3000 miles across and up 110 days across the Pacific Ocean and still be capable of germinating upon its arrival. Though this could be a possibility to explain the arrival of the niu, the Hawaiian culture has a few tales about the niu's origins. One such is that the god Kane brought the first niu and planted it in Hilo as a gift to humans. Another such tale is of Apua and Aukele brought the niu across the Pacific Ocean from Tahiti and planted the first coconuts in Puna, on the island of Hawaii.

Regardless of it's origin, its practical importance is unquestionable for both ancient and modern Hawaiians. When looking at the niu, every part of not only the fruit, but the tree can be used to great effect for anyone who has the know how to put it to use. For starters, the Niu is an amazing source of nutrients for an island-bound civilization; the meat on the inside of the nut is very high in fats and can be eaten fresh or dried out and saved. The liquid on the inside of the nut, commonly referred to as "coconut water" is an electrolyte filled substance that is as refreshing as it is hydrating; it was also a very reliable source of clean water when water wasn't convenient or abundantly found.

Nutrition aside, the niu had a variety of other uses too, the leaves and leaflets of the tree was often utilized to make baskets and roof thatching for houses. The tree was used to create anything from furniture to doormats, brooms to musical instruments, the husk of the nut of the niu can be burned as a natural mosquito repellent and the tree was used for canoes and structures. Native Hawaiian children learn about the fish that inhabit their oceans by chewing up the meat and spitting it into the ocean to invite fish to congregate around the free meal; the uses are near limited and the niu is sometimes referred to as "the most useful plant in the tropics"

As previously mentioned, the Coconut Palm itself has a long life cycle and has the potential to take nearly a decade to progress from the nut to the reproducing tree. This considered, it is of the utmost importance that we take conversational steps to protect the niu and the Coconut Palm itself, as any loss of mature tree takes time to replace, and if the scale of the loss is significant enough, the tree may not have the means to recover. While the Coconut Palm is not at risk worldwide, it is at risk in Ka'akepa.

Some of the reasons that it is at risk on this particular strand of beach is due to overuse and wasting of the natural resources along side not letting naturally seeded niu grow. While many can access this beach, it is found that a few are misusing this limited resource. Piles of niu left behind and wasted for nothing more than the limited water inside them. While we all want to enjoy a real, fresh niu while on vacation, we need to be Niu-wise about how we utilize this resource.

So how can we be Niu-wise while visiting Ka'akepa? First and foremost, do not move any niu that has sprouted from the fruit, it takes 9 months for a niu to sprout, so by taking one of these immature trees, you are interrupting a critical process that has been a year in the making. Another way to be Niu-wise is that if you absolutely must have a niu, to never take more than you need. For each niu you take, you are removing the possibility for that fruit to become a tree; a single person consuming 20 niu is the same as that person removing twenty trees from the area. The best way we can help conserve the resource though at Ka'akepa? Leave it be. As tempting as the opportunity may be, there are many other non-threatened sources of niu on Hawaii that should be sought out if you are just dying to have a niu. Regardless, we hope you enjoy your time at Ka'akepa and practice Niu-wise behavior.

Want to know more about the Niu? Check out these videos!