‘Awa Honokāne Iki is named after the valley where it was once abundant. The name is not a traditional one found in ethnographies, chants, or oral histories. Honokāne Iki is a valley in the Kohala District on the island of Hawai‘i, just beyond Pololū and Honokāne Nui valleys. We know that the valleys between Waipi‘o and Pololū were inhabited by Hawaiians for centuries. After the Kohala Ditch was completed in 1906, much of the stream water was diverted to sugar cultivation.
Residents from Pololū to Honopue gave up their homes and farms and moved away (Clark 1985, 149). This cultivar was also found in the old ‘awa fields of the South Kona district. With its conspicuous lenticels, long internodes, and erect growing habit, Honokāne Iki is sometimes mistaken for the Nēnē variety. Honokāne Iki has fewer spots than Nēnē has and they are farther apart. Striation may be seen on many of the lower stalks.
Residents from Pololū to Honopue gave up their homes and farms and moved away (Clark 1985, 149). This cultivar was also found in the old ‘awa fields of the South Kona district. With its conspicuous lenticels, long internodes, and erect growing habit, Honokāne Iki is sometimes mistaken for the Nēnē variety. Honokāne Iki has fewer spots than Nēnē has and they are farther apart. Striation may be seen on many of the lower stalks.