Ma’o is the idyllic Hawaiian name for the colourful ‘Hawaiian cotton’ (Gossypium tomentosum) plant which is found on all the main islands of Hawaii, but funnily enough not on the island of ‘Hawaii’ itself. A beautiful bright yellow flower when in bloom, the Ma’o is a true native wild cotton plant that can grow upwards of 2.5 metres and after flowering will produce fluffy white cotton bulbs that Hawaiians used to use for making pillows (not cloth) and also medicinally – the dried flowers were occasionally used to treat stomach cramps. This plant does not attract ants or insects so eventually it became harvested and mixed with commercial strains on the US mainland to help produce stronger ‘bug’ free strains for the cotton growing industry.
