Scientific name: Freycinetia arborea

Hawaiian Name: ‘Ie‘ie

Classification: Kingdom: Plantae. Phylum: Monocotyledonae. Family: Pandanaceae.

Origin: Native in Polynesia.

Status: Common.

Distribution: All main islands except Ni‘ihau and Kaho‘olawe.

Map: —

‘Ie‘ie is a woody climbing vine related to pandanus. It occurs in Hawaii’s forests where it may be found as a ground cover or, more commonly, climbing the trunks of trees where it can sometimes be so dense as to have more leaves than the tree itself! Its fruits were once the delicacy of some of Hawaii’s now extinct forest birds.