Today we planted two Ko’oko’olau in the garden which is in the bidens family but I’m not sure exactly which one this is. It’s a small short lived shrub that usually grows on the rocky cliff sides of the leeward coasts. You can grow it from either seeds or cuttings. The native Hawaiians used to make a tea out of it when they were feeling under the weather. The medicinal properties haven’t really been researched yet. Ko’oko’olau makes flushes of yellow flowers and probably great for the bees.
We harvested our first frame of honey today. The bees were super chill and we probably ended up with about 64 ounces of honey and we put in an empty frame to make more room for the bees.
Originally posted on 2021-08-20, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.