Mauna Kea Oral History Appendix - Office of Mauna Kea Management

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Yes.
Amazing!
Well, they stopped pulling it too.
Yes.
I don’t think that you’d ever be able to control it.
Oh, amazing!
As late as about 1970, the State Government established fountain grass as a noxious
weed, and in that sense we were able to get funding from the State. So our plan was
because of the heavy infestation of the fountain grass had already taken over with some
of our high land, good soil pastures. We decided that we probably will never be able to
get rid of the fountain grass, rather than that we’ll live with ‘em and introduce grass that
can compete with fountain grass. That was the plan…
[chuckles]
That was the plan that I started an experiment crop right below here, below Pu‘u Päpapa,
going up.
Yes.
The lower part.
Yes.
And about twenty acres was set aside. Unfortunately I retired the same year see. So we
were unable to fence it off, we introduced several type of grass in there, hand planted
and to see if these grasses, aggressive grasses can compete with fountain grass.
Did you find anything
There is a possibility it could have been done. But as I retired, nobody took care of it.
I see.
It was just forgotten.
Now of course this land has really changed, the fountain grass comes in, it’s got a lot of
fuel in it, right when it’s dry
Yes.
So fire comes and then what was on the land before burn away, can’t come back, it’s
only fountain grass comes back.
One of the important thing happened though, one of those grasses I tried to use as a
grass that can combat against the fountain grass was the tinaroo. You know tinaroo
glycine which is actually a legume, it grows like a vine. I think everybody noticed that,
crawling over the fence and all that. It’s not morning glory, but looks almost like a
morning glory.
In the pea family.
It’s a legume, it’s a clover.
Yes.
It’s one of the best, I think it’s the most promising one that today I would say offhand,
could give fountain grass a little competition because of it’s ability to grow well in a dry
land. And it will never die, the root system is so strong. And upon the first winter rain it
will come back again. and it will crawl over, cover the fountain grass. And the cattle will
eat both of those.
Mauna Kea– “Ka Piko Kaulana o ka ‘Äina”
Kumu Pono Associates LLC
A Collection of Oral History Interviews (HiMK67-050606) A:547