Hawai'i olive facts for kids

Nestegis sandwicensis, also known as the Hawai'i olive or olopua, is a special kind of flowering tree. It belongs to the olive family. This tree is found only in Hawaii, meaning it's endemic there.

Quick facts for kids Hawai'i olive
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Oleaceae
Genus:	Nestegis
Species:	N. sandwicensis
Binomial name
Nestegis sandwicensis
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The Hawai'i olive tree grows on all the main Hawaiian islands. You can find it from near the coast up to high mountain areas. It likes different types of forests, including wet forests near the coast and drier forests.

This tree usually grows about 6 meters (20 feet) tall. Its trunk can be about 0.2 meters (0.7 feet) wide. However, some very old or healthy trees can reach up to 20 meters (66 feet) tall. Their trunks can grow to be 0.9 meters (3 feet) wide.

How People Used the Hawai'i Olive Tree

Native Hawaiians used the strong wood of the olopua tree for many important things. They made tools and weapons from it.

• Tool Handles: The wood was perfect for making handles for ʻau koʻi, which were adzes. Adzes are tools like axes, used for shaping wood.
• Fishing Tools: They crafted apuapu, which were rasps. These rasps helped them make smooth fish hooks. They also made lāʻau melomelo, a type of fishing lure.
• Farming: ʻŌʻō were digging sticks made from olopua wood. These were used for planting crops.
• Building and Weapons: The wood was strong enough for pou, which were house posts. They also made pāhoa (small daggers) and pīkoi (tripping weapons). Spears were also made from this tough wood.
• Firewood: The olopua wood burns very well, even when it's still green. Because of this, it was a good source of wahie, or firewood.