Sunday, May 10, 2009

Red Ti on Kauai


Ti plants (Cordyline sp.) are known to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. For this reason, they are often planted outside of homes. Though not native to Hawaii they were brought by early Polynesian settlers to the Islands. Leaves from the Ti plant are traditionally used to wrap food, thatch roofs, and woven into hula skirts and leis. I took this photograph at the Kauai Coffee Company on a vacation in January 2008.