kiawe

[kee-ah-vey]

noun

1. a thorny tree, Prosopis juliflora, of the legume family, native to South America and widely naturalized in Hawaii.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kiawe¹

From Hawaiian

Example Sentences

The word means “to turn,” as in the turning of the chicken over burning kiawe wood — but also as in the turning of old systems into new ones, of shifting and rejecting the status quo.

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The committee has worked on 11 plant species, two tree pathogens, coqui frogs, little fire ants and other high-priority pest species, and have made strides toward controlling long-thorn kiawe and miconia, The Garden Island reported.

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Long-thorn Kiawe is a thorny shrub or small tree native to Central and South America, that has been listed on the Hawaii State Noxious Weeds list.

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“Long-thorn kiawe is armed with much larger, sharp thorns, up to 3 inches long, that can easily penetrate a truck tire,” Project Manager Tiffani Keanini said, adding that it looks similar to the more common kiawe found on the island.

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Cords of kiawe, a Hawaiian hardwood, arrive weekly; Mr. Keao uses it to smoke fish, meat and vegetables.

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