Rubus hawaiensis
A. Gray
Akala, Hawaiian raspberry
Wikimedia Commons - Forest & Kim Starr
Wikimedia Commons - Forest & Kim Starr
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The large red fruit are edible, with some offering sweet flavour and others slightly bitter.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.
Akala: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It is endemic to Hawaii.
Hawaii, Pacific, USA,
How to Identify
A plant like a large raspberry. The canes can be 4 m long. The leaves are large and hairy. There usually are no prickles. The flowers are pink and 4 cm across. The fruit are red and large. They are 5 cm across. They are edible. Some are sweet and some are slightly bitter.
References (5)
- Lamoureux, C.H., 1976, Trailside Plants of Hawaii's National Parks. Hawaii Natural History Association. p 30
- Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 488
- Ulian, T., et al, 2020, Unlocking plant resources to support food security and promote sustainable agriculture. Plants, People, Planet. 2020;2:421–445.
- C. Wilkes, U.S. Expl. Exped., Phan. 15:504. 1854
- www.eplantscience.com
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