Polynesian plants and plant names in Polynesian languages
Included here are plant names and words compared with Polynesian languages such as Sāmoan language and Hawaiʻian language.
Learn more words with our Sāmoan and Polynesian Dictionary >>
| English | Sāmoan Word | Hawaiʻian Word | Tongan Word | Tahitian Word | Māori Word | Scientific |
| Aloe vera | Aloe | ʻAloe | ʻAloe | Aloe vera | ||
| Alphitonia zizyphoides | Toi | Toi | Alphitonia zizyphoides | |||
| Angular winter cherry | Magalo (vi vao) | Polo pā | Physalis angulata | |||
| Asiatic pennywort | Togo | Centella asiatica | ||||
| Bamboo | ʻOfe | ʻOhe | Kofe | Schizostachyum glaucifolium | ||
| Banana | Faʻi | Maiʻa | Siaine | Maiʻa | Maika | Musa |
| Banyan or small-leaved fig | ʻAoa | ‘Ovava | Ficus obliqua | |||
| Beach cabbage | Toʻi toʻi | Scaevola taccada | ||||
| Beach heliotrope | Tausuni | Tornefortia argentea | ||||
| Beach morning glory | Fue moa | Ipomoea pes-caprae | ||||
| Beach pea | Fue sina | Vigna marina | ||||
| Beach sunflower | Ateate | Wollastonia biflora | ||||
| Bishop wood | ʻOʻa | Bischofia javanica | ||||
| Bitter yam | Soi | Dioscorea bulbifera | ||||
| Bottle Gourd | Ipu | Lagenaria siceraria | ||||
| Breadfruit | ʻUlu | ʻUlu | Mei | ʻUru | Kuru | Artocarpus altilis |
| Broadleaf hopbush | ʻAʻaliʻi | Dodonaea viscosa | ||||
| Bobea | ʻAhakea | Bobea | ||||
| Bitter yam | Soi | Hoi | Hoi | Dioscorea bulbifera | ||
| Beach cordia | Tauanave | Kou | Pua taukanave | Cordia subcordata | ||
| Cassava | Manioka | Manioka | Mānioke | Manihot esculenta | ||
| Canarium vitiense | Maʻali | Canarium vitiense | ||||
| Candelabra bush | Lāʻau failafa | Senna alata | ||||
| Candlenut | Lama | Kukui | Tuitui | Tiʻaʻiri | Aleurites moluccana | |
| Cashew tree | ʻApu initia | Anacardium occidentale | ||||
| Centotheca lappacea | Sefa | Centotheca lappacea | ||||
| Chaff-flower | Lau tamatama | Achyranthes aspera | ||||
| Chili pepper | Polo feʻu | Capsicum annuum | ||||
| Citron | Tipolo | Citrus medica | ||||
| Coconut | Niu | Niu | Niu | kokonati | Cocos nucifera | |
| Coconut Plant Sprout | Oʻo | Cocos nucifera | ||||
| Coral tree | Gatae | Erythrina variegata | ||||
| Derris or New Guinea Creeper | ʻAva niukini | Derris malaccensis | ||||
| Diospyros samoensis | Auʻauli | Diospyros samoensis | ||||
| Dysoxylum samoense | Maota (maota mamala) | Dysoxylum samoense | ||||
| Epipremnum pinnatum | Fue lau fao | Epipremnum pinnatum | ||||
| Earth (soil) | ʻEleʻele | Lepo | Hakau | Aʻau | Kere | |
| Fiveleaf Yam | Piʻa | Dioscorea pentaphylla | ||||
| Fish poison tree | Futu | Barringtonia asiatica | ||||
| Flower | Pua | Pua | Matala | Tiare | Puaka | |
| Garden Spurge | Vao āpulupulu | Chamaesyce hirta, Euphorbia hirta | ||||
| Giant Taro | ʻApe | ʻApe | Kape | Alocasia macrorrhizos | ||
| Giant Taro | Ta‘amū | ʻApe | Kape | Alocasia macrorrhizos | ||
| Ginger | Fiu | ‘Awapuhi Pākē | Sinisā | Zingiber officinale | ||
| Glochidion ramiflorum | Maota | Glochidion ramiflorum | ||||
| Glory bower | Aloalo tai | Clerodendrum inerme, Volkameria inermis | ||||
| Great Morinda | Nonu | Noni | Nonu | Nono | Morinda Citrifolia | |
| Guava | Kuʻava | Kuawa | Kuava | Tūava | Kuāwa | Psidium guajava |
| Guest tree | Fuʻafuʻa | Kleinhovia hospita | ||||
| Hibiscus (Beach) | Fau | Hau | Fau | Pūrau | Hibiscus tiliaceus | |
| Hibiscus (Red) | ʻAute Sāmoa | Aloalo | Kaute | ʻAute | Ponga | Hibiscus rosa-sinensis |
| Indian mulberry | Nonu vao | Noni | Nonu | Nono | Morinda citriflolia | |
| Ironwood | Toa | Casuarina equisetifolia | ||||
| Kava | ʻAva | ʻAwa | Kava | ʻAva | Kava | Piper methysticum |
| Koa | Koa | Acacia Koa | ||||
| Koaiʻa | Koaiʻa | Acacia Koaia | ||||
| Lama | Lama | Diospyros sandwicensis | ||||
| Lanceleaf Tongue Fern | Lau tasi | Pyrossia lanceolata | ||||
| Leather fern | Lau gasese | Davallia solida | ||||
| Lemon grass | Moegalo | Cymbopogon citratus | ||||
| Lesser Trema | Māgele | Trema cannabina | ||||
| Limeberry | Talafalu | Micromelum minutum | ||||
| Macropiper puberlum or Piper puberulum | ʻAvaʻava aitu | Macropiper puberlum or Piper puberulum | ||||
| Maile | Maile | Alyxia stellata | ||||
| Maile | Maile | Alyxia oliviformis | ||||
| Malay apple | Nonu fiʻafiʻa | ʻŌhiʻa ʻai | Fekika kai | Syzygium malaccense | ||
| Mango | Mago | Manakō | Mango | Mangifera indica | ||
| Mile-a-minute vine | Fue saina | Mikania micrantha | ||||
| Mountain Apple | Nonu fiʻafiʻa | ʻŌhiʻa ʻai | Fekika kai | Syzygium malaccense | ||
| Musk (Maile scented) Fern | Lau magamaga | Lauaʻe | Laufale | Metuapuaʻa | Microsorum/Phymatosorus grossus or scolopendria | |
| Mokihana | Mokihana | Melicope anisata | ||||
| Myrsine | Kōlea | Myrsine | ||||
| Manioc | Manioka | Manioka | Mānioke | Manihot esculenta | ||
| New Guinea Creeper or Derris | ʻAva niukini | Derris malaccensis | ||||
| ʻŌhiʻa Lehua | ʻŌhiʻa Lehua | Metrosideros polymorpha | ||||
| Otaheite apple | Vī | Vī | Spondias dulcis | |||
| Oil-nut | Fetau | Kamani, Kamanu | Fetaʻu | Calophyllum inophyllum | ||
| Polynesian arrowroot | Pia | Tacca leontopetaloides | ||||
| Paper mulberry | Uʻa | Wauke | Hiapo | Broussonetia papyrifera | ||
| Potato | Pateta | Solanum tuberosum | ||||
| Pacific Mussaenda or Pacific flag-tree | Aloalo vao | Mussaenda raiateensis | ||||
| Pacific rosewood | Milo | Milo | Milo | Thespesia populnea | ||
| Papaya | Esi | Mīkana | Lesi | ʻĪʻitā | Papaia | Carica papaya |
| Paper mulberry | Uʻa | Wauke | Hiapo | Aute | Aute | Broussonetia papyrifera |
| Pepper elder | Vao Vai | Peperomia pellucida | ||||
| Perfume tree | Mosoʻoi | Lanalana | Mohokoi | Motoʻoi | Cananga odorata | |
| Piper graeffei | Fue manogi | Piper graeffei | ||||
| Piper puberulum or Macropiper puberlum | ʻAvaʻava aitu | Piper puberulum or Macropiper puberlum | ||||
| Plant | Lāʻau | Plant | ||||
| Plumeria | Pua | Melia | Kalosipani | Tīpanīe | Plumeria | |
| Polyscias | Tagitagi | Polyscias | ||||
| Premna serratifolia | Aloalo | Premna serratifolia | ||||
| Psychotria insularum | Masame | Psychotria insularum | ||||
| Red Ginger (Ornamental) | Teuila | ‘Awapuhi ‘ula‘ula | Alpinia purpurata | |||
| Rorippa - longrunner | Aʻatasi | Rorippa sarmentosa | ||||
| Rukam | Filimoto | Flacourtia rukam | ||||
| Screwpine | Fasa | Hala | Fa | Fara | Rauhara | Pandanus tectorius |
| Screwpine | Fala | Hala | Fa | Fara | Rauhara | Pandanus tectorius |
| Sea mango | Leva | Cerbera manghas | ||||
| Shampoo Ginger | ʻAvapui | ʻAwapuhi Kuahiwi | Angoango | Zingiber zerumbet | ||
| Simpleleaf chastetree | Namulega | Vitex trifolia | ||||
| Small-leaved fig or Banyan | ʻAoa | Ficus obliqua | ||||
| Soap bush | Fisoa | Colubrina asiatica | ||||
| Sugar cane | Tolo | Kō | Tō | Saccharum officinarum | ||
| Sweet Potato | ʻUmala | ʻUala | Ipomoea batatas | |||
| Syzygium corynocarpum | Seasea | Syzygium corynocarpum | ||||
| Sea trumpet | Tauanave | Kou | Pua taukanave | Cordia subcordata | ||
| Soil | ʻEleʻele | Lepo | Hakau | Aʻau | Kere | |
| Tabasco Chili pepper | Polo feʻu | Capsicum annuum | ||||
| Tahitian chestnut | Inocarpus fagifer | Ifi | ||||
| Tahitian gardenia | Pua Sāmoa | Gardenia taitensis | ||||
| Tarenna sambucina | Maʻanunu | Tarenna sambucina | ||||
| Taro | Talo | Kalo | Talo | Taro | Taro | Colocasia esculenta |
| Taro bud, young shoot from corm | Lauvai | ʻOhā | Colocasia esculenta | |||
| Taro bud, young shoot from corm | Soesoe | ʻOhā | Colocasia esculenta | |||
| Taro cutting/top used for planting | Tiapula | Colocasia esculenta | ||||
| Taro Leaf | Lu‘au | Lū‘au | Colocasia esculenta | |||
| Taro petiole, (individual) stalk | Fā | Hā | Colocasia esculenta | |||
| Taro plantation | Maʻumaga | Loʻi | Ngoue | Paʻi Taro | Māra | |
| T-grass | Vao lima | Paspalum conjugatum | ||||
| Ti plant | Tī | Kī | Sī | ʻAutī | Tī pore | Cordyline fruticosa |
| Tree Fern | ʻOliʻolī | Hāpuʻu | Ponga | |||
| Tropical almond | Talie | Terminalia catappa | ||||
| Turmeric | Ago (Lega) | ʻOlena | Ango | Curcuma longa | ||
| ʻUkiʻuki | ʻUkiʻuki | Dianella sandwicensis | ||||
| Wax Gourd | Fangu | Benincasa hispida | ||||
| Wiliwili | Wiliwili | Erythrina sandwicensis | ||||
| Wingleaf soapberry | Aʻe | Sapindus saponaria | ||||
| Wax flower | Fue sele la | Hoya australis | ||||
| Wild capegooseberry | Vī vao | Physalis angulata | ||||
| Wild fig | Mati | Ficus tinctoria | ||||
| Wild ginger | ʻAvapui | ʻAwapuhi | Angoango | Zingiber zerumbet | ||
| Wild ginger | ʻAva pui vao | ʻAwapuhi | Angoango | Zingiber zerumbet | ||
| Yam | Ufi | Uhi | Dioscorea |
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