Brighamia insignis

Common Names

Alula, Cabbage on a Stick, Hawaiian Palm, Olulu, Pū Aupaka, Cabbage-On-A-Baseball-Bat, Vulcan Palm

Summary

A Hawaiian endemic caudiciform succulent from Kauaʻi and Niʻihau, with a stout swollen trunk and a crown of spoon-shaped glossy leaves, typically 1–2 m tall, bearing clusters of fragrant cream-to-yellow trumpet flowers (3–8 per leaf axil) with a tube 7–14 cm long; flowers appear Sept–Oct; habitat on rocky sea cliffs and ledges from sea level to about 480 m, in dry coastal grasslands and shrublands; distinctive for its architectural, tree-like form and water-storing caudex.

Cultivation favors bright indirect light in well-drained soil; tolerates full sun with protection; best in containers with cactus/succulent mix; water sparingly, allowing the medium to dry between waterings; propagation by seed; hand pollination often required for seed production due to loss of native pollinators; widely cultivated in gardens and restoration programs as an ornamental specimen plant and for conservation.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3 ft to 16 ft

Spread

1-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 10-11, 13

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Well-draining, gritty cactus/succulent mix.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Fall

Foliage Color

Light green to dark green, including bright lime green.

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Fast growth; ~1 ft (0.3 m) per year under optimum conditions.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts hawkmoths