Ti Plant: Cordyline fruticosa

An Ancient Hawaiian Spiritual Plant

Ti plants, unlike like the tea you drink, were plants brought to the Hawaiian islands by early Polynesians.  In fact, the plant was spread all throughout Polynesia and cultivated for its spiritual uses and for its starchy rhizomes.  But imagine this Dr. Suess-like plant having leaves that only the Hawaiian chiefs were allowed to wear around their necks.  According to the Hawaiian kapu system you could be killed for breaking a rule like this.

In Hawaii, kī rhizomes are fermented and distilled to make okolehao, a liquor.