Ipomoea pes-caprae -- Pohuehue, or beach morning glory

Ipomoea pes-caprae subspecies brasiliensis,or Pohuehue, in bloom.

Pohuehue, or beach morning glory, is an attractive glossy-leaved vine found growing in the sandy soils of the Hawaiian beaches. It is a relative of the sweet potato, 'uala, and is in the same genus, Ipomoea. The roots were used as famine food by the Hawaiians, but chemicals in the plant can be poisonous.

Pohuehue fruits are small brown floatable capsules with 1 to 4 seeds. The fruits are dispersed by ocean drift and pohuehue is found from the Northwest Hawaiian Islands to the big island of Hawai'i, and in many other places in the Pacific as well. Our native indigenous plant is considered to be the subspecies brasiliensis.

Many plants like pohuehue and naupaka on the coastal strand or beaches are indigenous. That is because they are easily dispersed by water and as a result, are found on many coasts of the Pacific. Photos by Priscilla Millen.

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