Description

Ti Leaves

Ti leaves are a key component of any Hawaiian flower arrangement. The deep green color adds to the color of the tropical blooms. They are a long and rather wide leaf handy for filling in spaces between stems. Some arrangers like to fold the leaf and secure it with a rubber band as seen in some of our assortments. The stems should rest in water just like the flower stems.

For orders of more than three dozen please contact us for availability.

We will not substitute on ti leaves.

We use ti leaves for our braided ti leaf leis as well as the open, maile style ti leaf leis. You can order the leaves for making your own lei.

Ti leaves are also used to wrap food for cooking in a method called ‘lau lau’ which means wrapped. Typical ingredients for lau lau are pork and chicken. The leaves are steamed to soften them before wrapping the food.

Ti leaves have many traditional uses. They are a staple in Hawaii. We include them in many of our Hawaiian flower assortments to add natural greenery. The colors range from a deep, lush green to a reddish purple. They actually produce a flower at certain times of year. Those small flowers turn into red berries.

The ti plant was brought to Hawaii by early settlers from Polynesia. The plant had many uses to their society. Parts of rhizomes are edible. The leaves were used to make clothing including skirts worn during hula dances. Ti leaves were also used to cover the roofs of Hawaiian homes. Even in modern Hawaii ti leaves are associated with good luck. They may be used in blessings for new ventures such as businesses or travels. Kids are even known to create a makeshift sled for sliding down a grassy hill in the islands.

If you are making a hula skirt we offer the leaves in the larger and longer size. Please contact us as availability can sometimes be limited.