Niu Nurseries

 NiU NOW! is dedicated to gathering, nurturing, and growing healthy and diverse coconut palm trees. We plan to gift them to our communities throughout Hawaiʻi.  We currently have three Niu Nurseries located in West Oʻahu: 

PALEHUA: In 2020, we established two seedbed nurseries at Palehua. Two hundred and forty-two (242) seeds are sprouted. We have twenty+ morphologically diverse (20) varieties in total. Palehua niu nursery has 208 sprouted seedlings collected at Hakipuʻu. Mānoa, Kalaeloa, ‘Ewa, Waipahu, Kaimuki, La’ie, Wai’anae, Palolo, Punaluʻu, and Kailua. 

Palehua Niu Nursery showing sprouted healthy seedlings. Photo by Manulani Aluli Meyer.
Laying seed nuts for Palehua nursery. Photo by Indrajit Gunasekara.

MA’O ORGANIC FARMS: On 26 April 20020, a niu seedbed nursery was established at MAʻO Organic Farms by farm manager Kaui Sana. Planted were thirty-four seed-nuts, and over twenty Keiki have sprouted!

Bedding the niu seeds from Maʻo Organic Farms niu palms at Maʻo Organic Farms. Photo by Kaui Sana.

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI WEST OʻAHU: We established a seedbed nursery at UHWO. Mālama Learning Center donated building materials. Construction of the nursery beds was carried out in August 2020 by the UHWO Aloha ʻĀina Student Service club volunteers. Although limited access to the site due to COVID-19 slowed down our activities, the bedding of 264 niu seed nuts was achieved on 26 December 2020. (Things of quality have no fear of time!)

Uluniu workday November 2019. Photo Manulani Aluli Meyer.
Laying niu mulch at UHWO niu nursery. Photo by Manulani Aluli Meyer.
UHWO niu nursery workday bedding seed nuts. Photo Manulani Aluli Meyer.
Our first niu planted! We wanted to begin our niu grove in early 2021.
Pictured here are members of the Aloha ‘Āina Club:
L/R Kevin, Kaiona, Jesse, Shyla, Pono, Indrajit (Advisor). Photo by Aunty Manu.