Koa trees were mentioned often in ancient stories and songs and provided the wood to make calabashes or "umekela'au" bowls, surf boards, weaponry, ukuleles, and canoe paddles. Canoes carved from Koa made the finest canoes in the pacific.
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| Koa is one of Hawaii's largest native trees and has been called "King of the Hawaiian Woods". Several varieties grow in Hawaii, but all are unique to the Islands. Koa trees can mature to have trunks 6 feet in diameter and stand 100 feet tall. These giant Koa's are occasionally seen in the few virgin Koa forests that survive today in the mountains on the island of Hawaii. The wood is medium to dark brown with dark grain and sometimes having wavy or curly golden reflections. Koa trees were mentioned often in ancient stories and songs and provided the wood to make calabashes or "umekela'au" bowls, surf boards, weaponry, ukuleles, and canoe paddles. Canoes carved from Koa made the finest canoes in the pacific. |
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| Above: Juvenile Koa Acacia tree; sweet scented Koa blossoms; "curly" grain reflections; polished Koa wood | ||