QUESTION: Why don’t we have hummingbirds in Hawaii? I know they’re not native Hawaiian but they are so pretty and amazing. We have all kinds of other alien birds that lolo people brought to Hawaii, but why not the honey nectar-sipping, jewel-toned hummingbirds? — D.S., Manoa
ANSWER: Great question! It’s a good thing we don’t have hummingbirds!
Hummingbirds, while amazing, are very aggressive for their small size. If they were brought to Hawaii this would be another nail in the extinction coffin for our rare native Hawaiian birds.
We know this now, but back when people were thoughtlessly introducing alien birds like English sparrows, pigeons and bulbuls, homesickness told them this would be a fine thing for Hawaii. These birds carry pests and diseases that harm native Hawaiian birds. Hummingbirds belong in their own native places in North and South America.
Also, they are a delicate bird and not a cage bird, so it would have been hard to bring them into Hawaii.
It was the pineapple industry that kept hummingbirds out of Hawaii. Hummingbirds are pollinators of pineapple. If pineapple gets pollinated, it sets seed. The very hard seeds get in the way of people eating pineapple, so the plantation owners led to hummingbirds being banned and quarantined.
Pineapple has a long history in Hawaii. The Hawaiian name — hala kahiki — means "hala from a far-off land." Although pineapple resembles hala, they are not related.
The scientific name is Ananas comosus, and pineapple is in the Bromeliaceae plant family. It is native to Brazil and Paraguay. There was a wild thorny type called the "wild Kona" or hala kahiki o Kona.
Don Francisco de Paula Marin, who brought many plants to Hawaii, including mango, guava, grapes and plumeria, made the first written record of transplanting pineapple in his journal in 1813.
De Paula Marin, adviser to Kamehameha I, wrote that he transplanted pineapple and an orange tree into his garden in such a way that it sounded commonplace, as if pineapple was already widespread in Hawaii gardens.
The pineapple may have come from shipwrecked sailors from Spain or Portugal or may have been brought to the islands by ancient Hawaiians along with uala, or sweet potato, another South American plant.
As time went on new varieties of pineapple were brought to Hawaii. A sweeter variety was introduced in 1886 from Jamaica. The Smooth Cayenne variety was preferred in later years, and it was ideal for canning.
Pineapple was prized for its ability to prevent scurvy on long sea voyages. It is rich in vitamins C and A, beta carotene, B1, B6 and manganese.
Pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and is a favorite art motif around the world. In New England, ship captains home from the sea would display a pineapple at their entryway. This showed they were safely home and hospitable; it was exotic and kept fairly well. Later, the motif evolved to include stone pineapples on entry gates.
It was such a popular status symbol, some socialites would rent pineapples to display to impress guests. Later, a richer family would buy it, show it off as a centerpiece at a celebration and then eat it.
In Europe, it became a symbol of over-extravagance — being too rich and powerful.
We didn’t know all of this here in Hawaii. When I was a kid, there was a prevalence of pineapple.
I remember the smell of free pineapple juice that greeted visitors at the airport. Oh, the mainland cousins loved it. I was allergic to it! It was the same story at the Iwilei pineapple cannery. Visitors raved about the free juice and fruit on the tour, but we turned up our noses.
Just the thought of working in the cannery or the pineapple fields made us go to college. Perhaps a plot by our parents?
I remember the old pineapple art deco cooling tower — a landmark that could be seen across town. When I was a tour guide, we used to tell this joke: "Why did they take down the pineapple tower? It was overripe!"
Visitors used to tell me I was so lucky to have fresh pineapple every day, but I preferred lychee, mango and papaya.
Over the years, I’ve developed a liking for the newer sweeter varieties, and I eat some to ward off colds.
Pineapple is easy to grow and is excellent in xeriscapes. As the popularity of food plants grows, people should consider pineapples. They are cute plants, resilient and easy to grow.
Just twist off the top of your fresh pineapple, dry it upside down for a day or two and plant it in the ground or a pot. Then water it daily until the plant is established.
They are useful plants as they contain bromelain, a digestive enzyme that can be used as a meat tenderizer.
If you are stung by a man-o-war, rub some pineapple or fruit skin on the affected area. The enzymes in the fruit should break down the toxins and provide some relief from the sting.
Heidi Leianuenue Bornhorst is a sustainable landscape consultant specializing in native, xeric and edible gardens. Reach her at heidibornhorst@gmail.com.
