ʻŪlei: The Hidden Meaning Behind a Bouquet of Hawaiian Roses
By Nanea Valeros, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
In 1895 following an uprising to reinstate Queen Liliʻuokalani, the queen was forced to relinquish all claims to the throne and imprisoned for her alleged knowledge of the attempt by her supporters to restore her to power. She was sentenced to eight months and was confined to a bedroom at ʻIolani Palace. During her imprisonment, she spent time writing music. One of the songs she composed at this time was “Kuʻu Pua i Paoakalani.”
This song is a poetic example of resistance. Liliʻuokalani was cut off from the outside world and was not allowed access to any political news or happenings; she was not even allowed to read the newspaper. Her dear friend, Evelyn Townsend Wilson, who was voluntarily imprisoned with her, had a son named John who could send flowers to Liliʻuokalani, wrapped in newspaper.
Kuʻu Pua i Paoakalani talks about the love Liliʻuokalani had for her dear friend, Evelyn, comparing her to a beautiful flower at Paoakalani — the queen’s estate in Waikīkī where they both lived previously. It is one of the highest honors in Hawaiian culture to have a mele (song) written about you, much less, by the queen. This mele mentions the beautiful flowers John would send from her royal flower garden at Uluhaimalama, but none of those compared to the beauty of the flower at Paoakalani.
Uluhaimalama was Liliʻuokalani’s royal flower garden that was planted to remind future generations “to be vibrant and continue to grow as Hawaiians.” The kaona (hidden meaning) of the plants that filled the garden is what made this place so special. A lehua mamo (Metrosideros spp.) was planted in the middle of the garden to represent Liliʻuokalani. Surrounding it were symbolic plants like kukui (Aleurites moluccana; representing enlightenment), ʻuhaloa (Waltheria indica; plant form of Kamapuaʻa, who was bold and defiant), and other native and nonnative favorites of Liliʻuokalani.
ʻŪlei (Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, Hawaiian rose) is another plant that was planted at Uluhaimalama. It was planted there by Princess Poʻomaikelani, younger sister of Queen Kapiʻolani. The kaona behind ʻūlei is what makes it an appropriate resident plant of Uluhaimalama.
He ʻūlei kolo (a creeping ʻūlei) — an expression applied to a tough, strong person. The wood of the ʻūlei plant is very strong and had many uses including being made into digging sticks, fishing spears, and ʻūkēkē.
If you’re familiar with hula, you might recognize some commonly used implements like an ipu (made from a gourd) or pūʻili (made from bamboo). But have you ever seen an ʻūkēkē? An ʻūkēkē, or Hawaiian musical bow, is traditionally made from the wood of the ʻūlei plant.
The ʻūkēkē is strummed while being held in the mouth. The mouth cavity acts as a resonance chamber when the strings of the ʻūkēkē are strummed. The ʻūkēkē is not something you see everyday. Instead, you may notice the very popular ʻukulele that was brought to Hawaiʻi in 1879 by the Portuguese.
Shifts in Hawaiian culture often happened after introductions of new and “better” things, but it’s important to look back and remember what Hawaiian culture looked like prior to those new introductions. Native plants help us to make ancestral connections and remember historic events like the imprisonment of Lili‘uokalani, mele like Kuʻu Pua i Paoakalani, stories of places like Uluhaimalama, and traditional practices like hula. Although traditional uses of native plants may look a little different today, they still thrive in everyday cultural practices and traditions, and are crucial to the ecological function of the Hawaiian islands.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, connect with us through any of these social media channels at https://www.facebook.com/PacificIslandsFWS, www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/, or www.twitter.com/USFWSPacific.
