Why, flowers, of course. And naupaka has both a legend and flowers, dainty white flowers. One version of the legend says that two lovers were forcibly separated, one to the coast and the other to the mountains. Changed into plants, they displayed their connection to each other by producing flowers that appear torn in half. These flowers consist of five petals grouped into a semi-circle. Naupaka has a coastal plant, known as naupaka kai, and a mountain one, known as naupaka kuahiwi. It is the mountain naupaka (Scaevola chamissoniana) that we see in Volcano.
This naupaka is a small tree which grows best as an edge of the forest plant. With more light, it becomes bushy with lots of white flowers and black, purplish berries. Mountain naupaka continually drops leaves and grows them again, creating forest litter. Forest litter is good for suppressing weeds trying to come into the forest, another benefit of putting naupaka on the forest edge. And it also allows naupaka’s flowering beauty to shine.
But wait, there’s more. Kilauea has its very own naupaka, Scaevola kilaueae. It is a rare plant but you can see it with careful looking on the Hilina Pali Road in the dry open forest. Kilauea naupaka is a low shrub with small leathery, slightly toothed leaves. The giveaway, of course, are those legendary half-flowers. Happy hunting!
