MAIʻA

Aloha! I’m Mai’a, though you probably know me as the banana tree (even though I’m technically part of the grass family, not actually a tree). I’m a canoe plant, brought to Hawaii as a staple food by the earliest polynesian settlers. On top of being used for food, my fruit can also help dye tapa cloth, and the peels can be used medicinally for wounds. 

I grow to about 10-25 ft tall, I have paddle-shaped leaves that can be up to 10 ft long, and I have yellow flowers and fruit. I grow super quickly too! From the time you plant a bulb, my fruit will be ready for harvest in less than a year 😊

Random fun fact about me: 

Legends say that I was brought to Hawaii by a brother of Pele.

Likes/wants:

• Lots of water

• Full sun

• Plenty of space to grow

• Warm tropical climates 

Even though I do best in sun and heat, and am most commonly found in humid tropical areas, some of my varieties are pretty cold hardy. My greatest strengths are probably my resilience and adaptability; I grow on every continent but Antartica! I can thrive in habitats, soil types, and elevations ranging from mountains to valleys to beaches, so I’m open to lots of different people and places for my next home.