Hapu'u, Hawaiian tree fern
Cibotium glaucum

Family: Dicksoniaceae

What it is like

A tree fern. It can be erect or sometime lie over. The trunk is 3 m long and 16 cm across. There are often shoots along the trunk, especially when the trunk lies over. The fronds can be divided 2 or 3 times. They are white on the underside. They are 1-3 m long. There are reddish brown hairs at the base of the stalk.

There are 10-15 Cibotium species. They occur in the Pacific.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It is probably damaged by frost. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Hawaii, Pacific, USA

How it is used for food

Starch is extracted from the stump.

Edible parts

Trunk - starch

How it is grown

It can be grown from spores or basal shoots. Trunk cuttings root easily.

It is slow growing.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Dicksonia glauca J.E.Smith; Cibotium st-johnii Krajina;