The Atlas Botanica

Cacao pods arrived!

Will be attempting to grow cacao trees. Might be possible here in Southern California. Wish me luck

Transplanting blue corn and heirloom squash this past weekend.

I grew these blue corn last year and saved the seeds. 2nd generation to this SoCal climate.I'm really excited to try a “3 sisters” garden growing method this year along with anasazi beans - probably the closest crops I can grow today that would resumble the varieties grown hundreds of years ago. Idk, I just think that's really special. Dedicating this plot for our ancestors.

We're now on Substack as Source of Flavor — where satellites meet soil, and stories bloom from pixels and plots.

Our first deep dive? A look at how floods in Valencia, Spain in 2024 wiped out critical crops — and how Sentinel-1 radar imagery helped us map the damage when clouds got in the way.

This isn’t just about Spain. It’s about our global food system, resilience, and what remote sensing can reveal at both the farm and planetary level.

🚨 Featuring Sentinel-1 & Sentinel-2 animations
🍊 How floodwaters disrupted Europe’s citrus supply
🌍 Tools like GLAM that scale insights from local to global

🔗 Link in bio to read the article and subscribe to the newsletter. Let’s explore how Earth observations shape what ends up on our plates. 🌱🌎

PC:

Plant of the Week: Hibiscus waimeae

Hibiscus waimeae, also known as kokiʻo kea, is an endemic Hawaiian plant in the large mallow family, found naturally only in Waimea Canyon on Kauaʻi's island. The mallow family includes other plants like okra, baobab, cotton, and ornamental Hibiscus varieties. Despite the presence of Hibiscus varieties in Hawaiʻi, most are non-native, with only six native species in the islands.

Kokiʻo keʻokeʻo grows well in cultivation and can be seen outside of Kauaʻi more commonly today. In the natural environment, it can grow into a tall tree, but in cultivation, it can be trimmed and shaped into shade trees. The plants have five large, white petals and a reddish staminal column that projects out prominently.

The flowers of kokiʻo keʻokeʻo and its cousin, Hibiscus arnottianus, have a unique fragrance, a rare character among Hibiscus species worldwide. In Native Hawaiian culture, the buds of some Hibiscus flowers are used for internal illnesses and blood purification when mixed with other herbal medicines. The flowers are also mentioned in many songs and stories for their delicate beauty.




Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
Curtis, W., Botanical Magazine (1787-1948)
Wikipedia Commons

Plant of the Week: Metrosideros polymorpha

The ʻŌhiʻa lehua, also known as Metrosideros polymorpha, is a native forest tree found on all major islands in Hawaiʻi, except Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe. It can grow in nearly every environment found in Hawaiʻi, from cooled lava flows to mesic and wet forests, and even as epiphytes on native plants like hāpuʻu. The plant's most characteristic trait is its colorful new leaf buds, which unfurl in pairs, turning from purple-red to light green as they mature. These leaves can also be fuzzy or smooth, adding to their variability.

The most characteristic trait of the ʻŌhiʻa lehua is its beautiful, delicate flowers, which appear in different colors. They are commonly seen with bright scarlet to dark red blooms, comprised of many long stamens, which are likened to the feathers of native birds like the ʻapapane. The plants have all-yellow flowers, similar to the feathers of the endemic mamo honeycreeper, which is now extinct.

The ʻŌhiʻa lehua is important in Native Hawaiian culture, as its hard wood is prized for construction, weaponry, and the making of sacred images to represent akua, or deities. The flowers and young leaves continue to be used in lei making and are emblematic of Hawaiʻi Island. The name lehua is used as a reference to something precious or rare, and in battle, the first warrior who falls may be referred to as the lehua.

Despite their importance, the ʻŌhiʻa lehua are threatened by habitat loss and the fungal disease Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD), caused by Ceratocystis huliohia and Ceratocystis lukuohia. The situation is so dire that there is currently a ban on moving all Metrosideros products between islands.




Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
Sinclair, I., Indigenous Flowers of the Hawaiian Islands (1887)
Wikipedia Commons

Plant of the Week: Morinda citrifolia

Noni, also known as nonu or nono in the Pacific Islands, is a Polynesian-introduced canoe plant native to Hawaiʻi. It belongs to the coffee family and can grow in various environments, including dryland, mesic forest areas, disturbed hala, non-native dominated grasslands, and urban settings. Noni can grow into a small tree with multiple branching sections, reaching heights of fifty feet in some favorable conditions. Its mature, dark-green leaves with visible veins and round or oblong fruits are green when young and pale, almost white as they ripen. The fruit contains dozens of small, pointed seeds that sprout easily under parent trees.

Noni is naturalized in many parts of the Pacific, including Hawaiʻi, due to its role as a valuable plant resource. It is primarily used for medicinal purposes, treating internal and external issues such as boils, broken bones, kidney and bladder disorders, and constipation. In Hawaiʻi, the fruits are considered useful as famine food, and the pasteurized juice of noni fruit is sold as a health tonic. The moderately heavy wood of noni is easily distinguished by its bright-yellow color when freshly cut, and it can be used for tool handles, house parts, images, and temple enclosures.

Noni also serves as a source of natural dyes, with its bark producing a distinct yellow-orange dye that turns a deep, blood-red color when mixed with coral lime.




Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
Wight, R., Illustrations of Indian botany (1840-1850)
Wikipedia Commons

Plant of the week: Osteomeles anthyllidifolia

ʻŪlei, also known as ʻūʻūlei or eleuhe on Molokaʻi, is an indigenous member of the rose family found on all major Hawaiian Islands except Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe. It grows in various drier habitats, including open dry shrubland areas, dry to mesic forests, disturbed sites, and lava fields. Unlike other native plants, ʻūlei is drought-tolerant and grows well along sun-baked lower sections of ridge trails leading up to the summits in the southern Koʻolau Mountains on Oʻahu.

The plant exhibits varying growth habits, with most growing as shrubs with flexible branches that become tougher and woodier as they mature. Some at higher elevations are more tree-like, with multiple thick trunks and a spreading canopy. The plant's alternating, pinnate leaflets and small, fragrant white flowers make it a well-used plant in Native Hawaiian culture. The delicate white flowers and leaves can be used to make unique lei, while the supple branches can be used for framing dip or scoop nets for fishing. Larger branches can be used for digging sticks, barkcloth-making tools, spears for war, and carrying poles.

The fruits of ʻūlei can also be used to make a lavender dye for kapa, Hawaiian barkcloth, and treat lacerations of the skin. The small white fruits were considered famine food and not a substantial food source.




Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
Curtis, W., Botanical Magazine (1787-1948)
Wikipedia Commons

A'ali'i (Dodonaea viscosa) is a native shrub in Hawaii, and it known for its fruiting capsules used in lei making and its seeds used to create a red dye for printing patterns on kapa (barkcloth).

It is native to Hawaii and can be found on all main Hawaiian Islands and in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. The winged capsules range from greenish-white to red or yellow, and the inconspicuous flowers are either male or female.

A'ali'i wood sinks in water and was used in fishing as bait sticks. Hawaiians also used the wood for construction, making canoes, house posts, tools, and weapons. The Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand gave it the name akeake, meaning "forever and ever." A'aliʻi is known as a pioneer species, allowing it to colonize unfavorable sites and withstand fire. It prefers full sun but sheds its leaves in extreme drought.

The wood of A'ali'i is remarkably sturdy, as seen in the art language or proverbial saying "I am a mighty king; there is no wind to blow. no gale can push me over". A boast meaning, "I can hold my own even in the face of difficulties." The plant can also be identified as a'ali'i ku makani ('ali'i standing in the wind), a'ali'i ku ma kua ('ali'i standing in back), and kūmakani (wind resisting), all referencing its durability.

The illustration is from Banks' Florilegium - a collection of copperplate engravings of plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during Captain James Cook's first voyage around the world between 1768 and 1771.

Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
Banks, Banks Florilegium (1772-1784)
David Eickhoff

The ‘awapuhi, also known as shampoo ginger, is a versatile and culturally significant plant in Hawaii.

With its lush, leafy shoots that reach up to two meters in height, ‘awapuhi thrives in shaded, mesic areas across the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, and Maui. This Polynesian introduction has long been valued for both its medicinal and practical uses.

Traditionally, ‘awapuhi serves as a natural remedy for various ailments. Hawaiians apply it as a compress for sore spots, bruises, and cuts, and its anti-inflammatory properties help relieve headaches, toothaches, joint pain, and skin conditions like ringworm. In some cases, a mixture of burnt ‘awapuhi leaves, bamboo ashes, kukui nut sap, and ‘awapuhi tuber sap is used to treat cuts and bruises. Additionally, the plant’s underground stems, when mashed with salt, are rubbed on the head to alleviate headaches.

Beyond its medicinal applications, ‘awapuhi is also treasured for its fragrance and sudsy fluid, which is traditionally squeezed out to use as shampoo. The powdered rhizome scents kapa (Hawaiian bark cloth), while the leaves are used to flavor meats and even enhance the sacred hula altars, or kuahu.




Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
Zorn, J., Oskamp, D.L., Vervolg op de Afbeeldingen der artseny-gewassen met derzelver Nederduitsche en Latynsche beschryvingen (1813)
Wikimedia Commons, Rison Thumboor, Renjusplace

Kalo, also known as taro, dalo, and talo, is a Polynesian-introduced food crop to the Hawaiian Islands.

In Hawaiʻi, māla, dryland gardens, and loʻi, wetland terraces or patches are used to grow kalo. The leaves of kalo have a heart-like shape, but there are many variations in leaf margin shape, vein coloration, leaf shade, and even the leaf sinus. As many as three hundred varieties of Hawaiian kalo were known in the past, although most are no longer recognized in Hawaiʻi today.

Kalo families still grown in Hawaiʻi include moi, lehua, piʻialiʻi, poni, mana, ʻāpiʻi, kāī, lauloa, manini, and piko. As the plant grows, corms increase in size and secondary corms may form, called ʻohā. These secondary corms can be transplanted to create more kalo.

The leaves, stems, and flowers can also be consumed, but the corms provide the primary food source. All parts of the plant must be cooked before consumption due to their microscopic crystals that must be broken down prior to eating. After steaming, the corm is mashed on a papa kuʻi ʻai to make paʻi ʻai, which can be wrapped for transportation elsewhere. Poi kalo, made from breadfruit or sweet potato, is famous for its different flavors, colors, and longevity.

In Hawaiian culture, kalo is not only a plant providing food and medicine but also considered family. In the story of Hāloanakalaukapalili, the akua (deities) Hoʻohokukalani and Wākea live together on Oʻahu. The first child is stillborn, and the second son is named Hāloa, who is said to be the progenitor of all Hawaiian people. The first kalo is considered the older sibling to Native Hawaiians.




Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
Bessler, B., Hortus Eystettensis (1613)
Wikipedia Commons

ʻUala, also known as sweet potato, is a Polynesian plant introduced to the Hawaiian Islands. Scientifically called Ipomoea batatas, it belongs to the morning-glory family and has been widely cultivated in Hawaiʻi and other Pacific islands due to human introduction.

ʻUala is a vining plant that can be grown from underground tubers or slips, which are cuttings of matured stems. It comes in various colors, including rounded, heart-shaped leaves and long, lanceolate lobes. Nearly 230 Native Hawaiian cultivars of ʻuala were known in the past, but most are not known today or have been lost.

Uala is a crucial Polynesian food crop that can be grown in drier conditions than kalo or taro plants. It matures in half the time of many kalo varieties and can be stored for long periods without rendering inedible. Besides food, ʻuala is a common ingredient in herbal medicines in Hawaiʻi, used to treat nausea, general weakness in babies, shortness of breath, and other ailments.

Uala is prominently featured in Native Hawaiian stories and cultural practices, as the plant is a physical manifestation of the deity Lono, associated with agriculture and medicine. Proverbial sayings often reference ʻuala, comparing people to the plant or relating it to giving sustenance.




Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
M.E. Eaton, Addisonia (1916-1964)
Wikipedia Commons

The ʻulu, also known as breadfruit or breadnut tree, is a medium to large tree in the mulberry family, introduced to Hawaiʻi.

It comes in various varieties, with maʻafala from Sāmoa and Tonga being a popular variety. The tree grows tall, sometimes up to 60 feet, with grayish bark and branching into a wide canopy. Its leaves are larger, leathery, and dark-green when mature, with multiple lobes extending out from the central midrib. Male inflorescences, called pōule in Hawaiian, project out from a branch tip, while female flowers develop as small, round protuberances that eventually become fruit five to eight inches in diameter.

Ulu is one of the most important plants in Native Hawaiian culture due to its many functional uses and spiritual significance. It can bear fruits multiple times during the year, with fruits being nearly a foot in diameter. The plant is preserved in salt water in parts of Micronesia and pounded into a mash in many parts of the Pacific, known as poi ʻulu in Hawaiʻi.

Ulu wood was used for various purposes, such as food pounding boards, surfboards, and canoes. It is considered a kinolau of the deity Kū and was used to create images representing Kū at heiau, or temple structures. Ulu sap, which drips freely when bark is cut or fruit is picked, can be used as a waterproofing caulking agent for canoes and a sticky foundation for bird-catching tools.




Sources:
Bishop Museum Ethnobotany Database
Stichting Academisch Erfgoed, Geheugen Van Nederland
Wikipedia Commons