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Liko Lehua — The Young Leaves of Ohia Lehua

Posted: November 12, 2007

The young leaves of ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), known as liko lehua in Hawaiian, form little rosettes that come in a variety of colors and textures.  Leaves grow in pairs opposite each another with successive pairs at right angles to each other along the stem.  Liko come in a spectrum of color from purple, maroon, red, orange, and yellow and can have fine hairs that coat the leaves with a soft velvety texture.   

 

This maroon liko lehua grows along with stringy orange and white umikoa (lichen) along the spine of the Waianae Mountains along the trail to Puu Kalena, the second highest peak on Oahu.  The trail to Puu Kalena starts near Kolekole Pass in Scholfield. 

Fine hairs cover only the backside of this maroon liko growing along side umikoa along the crest of the Waianae Mountains near Puu Kalena. 

The leaves of this pink liko are puffy like a succulent and are covered with fine soft hairs. This specimen also grows on the Waianae Mountains near Puu Kalena.

This pink liko is covered with short fine hairs that give the leaves a soft velvety texture–an adaptation to conserve moisture on the dry parched lava fields within Kilauea Caldera on the Big Island.

The leaves of this liko are a vibrant yellow-orange color and grow along with hulumoa, the native mistletoe, in Pepeopae Bog at Kamakou Preserve on Molokai. 

Liko can take many forms.  Its attractive shape and wide variation in color and texture, make liko lehua a favorite lei-making material.