Ohelo

`Ohelo, Vaccinium reticulatum Sm., is common in Kilauea Crater and scattered across Haleakala Crater. It is a shrub with stiff shoots. Its leaves are leathery and bluish or grayish green in color. Well developed leaf margins with serrations are found on plants restricted to Maui, while smooth to hairy species are mostly found in Hawaii and only occasionally on Maui. Its clustered flowers are usually a brilliant red and are followed by red, orange or yellow berries. It flowers and fruits throughout the year, but flowering is most prolific from April to September. The peak of berry production is from June to September, where the berries are harvested extensively in Maui and Hawaii to make jams and jellies.

The juicy, slightly sweet `ohelo berries are related to blueberries and cranberries and are edible both raw and cooked. The early Hawaiians considered the `ohelo sacred to the fire goddess Pele, and made offerings to her by throwing branches with berries themselves.

`Ohelo, Vaccinium reticulatum Sm., of the family Ericaceae, is a small, spreading shrub about two feet high, found primarily on Hawaii and Maui, rare on Kauai, Oahu and Molokai. It thrives on the less weathered lava flows and beds of volcanic ash and cinders. Ohelo is an endemic species.