LOULU PALM FARMS

Mission Statement

At the beginning of 2007, we started developing the Loulu Palm Estate as a nature preserve and the dream of preserving Hawaii's native species. The dream became a plan for a farm and farm to incubate Loulu Palm seedlings through their vulnerable early life stages completely protected from rats and pests, which have threatened their existence.

Hawaiian Loulu Palms Estate is working with botanists, horticulturalists and Hawaiian environmental and habitat specialists to save the Loulu Palm from a near extinction and preserve the Spirit of Hawaii's natural endemic species. Loulu Palm Estate sits on a mile long secluded beach between turquoise blue water and lush tropical mountains, creating the perfect ecosystem.

Discreetly hidden from the main highway, Hawaiian Loulu Palms Farms is building the infrastructure, management and capability of growing thousands of rare Hawaiian Loulu Palms from seed stock through growth stages to be young healthy plants ready for statewide replanting and worldwide distribution and sales.

Loulu Palm Description

Pritchardia species Loulu are the native Hawaiian palm trees. Fossil evidence suggests loulu were once a dominant tree in lower elevation forests, but they're fairly sparse today in remnant native forests. Pigs and rodents love to eat their fleshy nuts. The fruit of the loulu is called "hawane", and there was once a colorful little palmcreeper bird that lived in the loulu called the 'ula 'ai hawane , which is long extinct.

The four native species of Hawai'i island are p. beccariana, p. lanigeri, p. affinis and p. schattaueri. The last two are endangered, and the latter was down to a handful of individuals.

The genetic diversity of the remaining palms is being protected by carefully tracking which of the plantings come from which of the dozen original wild trees," a conservancy press release said.

Pritchardia is a Pacific palm genus, and the only palm native to Hawaii. While a few species exist on other Pacific islands, the widest diversity of Pritchardias is in the Hawaiian Islands, where more than 20 species exist. Species are found on most of the main islands, and a small forest exists on Nihoa, the easternmost island in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. The Hawaiian honeycreeper, the ula-ai-hawane, ate the trees' seeds as one of its main foods. Hawaiians used the seeds for food. They also used the leaves to create thatching.

All the members of loulu palm family are either threatened or critically endangered in their natural habitat. This is mostly due to the cutting and clearing of land for crops as well as human settlement.

Rats eating the fruit/seeds are also considered a large contributor to their disappearance. To combat the rats there are many palms sporting metal bands wrapped around their trunks. The band helps prevent the rats from being able to climb the trees. If they can climb the trunk then they don't just eat the ripening fruit and seed, they also like to munch on the new shoots of leaves emerging.

The young immature fruits are enjoyed by humans as well. They have a flavor similar to coconut but are a much smaller size.

The loulu palm trees are actually easier for the cities to look after, not requiring as many resources and money to look after. Maintenance like pruning is a lot less involved than with others like the coconut palm trees. The native Hawaii palm trees and all members of the Pritchardia family are susceptible to lethal yellowing. Care should be taken to plant them in areas without the presence of this disease for successful growing.

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Pritchardia This genus of solitary-trunked fan palms contain the only palm species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Aside from Polynesian islands like Fiji, most of these palms occur throughout the Hawaiian Islands in different microclimates, which have influenced their variable characteristics. Many of these palms come from rainy areas at mid elevations, but some have evolved in dry, low, coastal areas of the islands. These beautiful palms are prized for their arching, stiff, and unarmed palmate leaves.

Many of these palms have become endangered or extinct in their natural areas and it is difficult to know how many species actually exist at present. All the Hawaiian species are known as Loulu Palms. Names and descriptions of the Hawaiian species reflect the changes that have come about as the result of this up-to-date taxonomic treatment of Pritchardia.