Kava - or 'awa, meaning bitter in Hawaiian - is a native plant species of the Pacific islands, and was brought to Hawaii with the migrating Polynesians who valued the leaf, stem and root as medicine.

Today, it is the root that is most valued, with the powdered form sold commercially at $30 plus per pound.  Many small farmers on the island of Hawaii and throughout the state are growing 'awa, alongside other botanicals such as noni, in effort to diversify and find niche markets in the aftermath of sugar's demise.

John Fowler is one of those farmers.  He's successfully growing about a dozen varieties of 'awa on his "kava plantation" in Puna, and sells both plants and sprouted nodules with starter roots.  He also mills dried kava root from Hawaii and other Pacific islands, selling the powder for such uses as "relaxing sore muscles" and a "tranquilizing effect."

But interestingly enough, Fowler, who was first introduced to kava thirty years ago in Vanuatu, then known as the New Hebrides, says that in Hawaii the plant may be even better suited for backyard gardeners than for commercial growers.

"Kava is an excellent backyard crop," says Fowler.  "A commercial grower may want to harvest in two years, but a home gardener can afford to wait, get more of a root mass.

"Hawaiian kava is good quality, and it’s a pretty plant," he says, "and you can just leave it in the ground - it just keeps growing - until you are ready to harvest."

'Awa, Piper methysticum, is a member of the pepper family, growing from 4 to 12 feet tall as a shrub with green, jointed stems and heart-shaped leaves.  It's a heavy feeder, says Fowler in his writings on the subject, and likes it in the rich, wet conditions of subtropics rainforests.

Harvesting the stems of healthy plants, and cutting them into short lengths of one or two nodules, is the way to propagate 'awa.  You just place the cuttings upright in moist, rich soil, in an area with some sun.  Add lots of compost.

Keep the area moist with irrigation or hand watering if conditions are dry, and new canes and branches will emerge from the base while the root system expands.

You can harvest the root at two years, but Fowler prefers to wait at least three for a larger yield.  A plant, if left alone for many years, can yield a root mass of several hundred pounds.

"I've never had any luck with commercial fertilizers," Fowler says.  "Just use a good rich soil, lots of mulch to keep the weeds down and hold in the moisture, and maybe some organic fish emulsion, seaweed or guano."

Fowler recommends that the home gardener grow the more potent varieties of 'awa.  By potent, he means that the roots contain a good quantity of kavalactones - that's the compound found in the resin that has been used traditionally in Polynesian cultures for medicinal and ceremonial purposes.

Here on the island of Hawaii, Fowler says, his clients like the varieties Mokihana, Purple Moi, Mahakea, and Hiwa the best, although he himself has had some root rot problems with the Hiwa in very wet weather.

A couple of things that might make some trouble in propagation, warns Fowler, are nematodes and aphids.

If you have nematodes in your soil, it won't necessarily destroy your plants, but should any other stress occur such as dry weather or lots of wind, then the plants will get "pulled down."  If you have nematodes, Fowler recommends, then you might consider growing your 'awa in planters.

And to combat occurrences of aphids, Fowler mixes up some detergent in water, finds the colony, and gives it - and it alone - a good dousing.  Take care, he says, to not just randomly spray the whole plant.

One word of caution should you decide to add 'awa to your garden.  There is a look-alike variety that not only is void of any beneficial kavalactones, but is also highly invasive and will swallow up your garden in nothing flat.  This counterfeit kava is called by several names - Hawaiian sakau, false sakau, or Fowler has heard it called golden 'awa - and it is causing a lot of trouble with the kava industry in Pohnpei.

This imposter, Piper aurifum, does not form clumps like the good 'awa, but rather sends out invasive shoots underground, as well as creating a surface overgrowth that will smother everything around it.

"I had some of that [golden 'awa] in a pot, and it sent shoots right out the bottom and into the garden," says an astonished Fowler. "It was really hard to get rid of."

To identify Piper aurifum, look for leaves in a lighter green than regular 'awa, on a greenish-yellow stem  Look for a thin rim of hair-like fringe around the edge of the leaf, then crush it and see if it smells medicinal or aromatic.  Find those signs, and you should dig the plant and all its root up immediately and destroy them.

But the real Hawaiian 'awa is a perfect addition to the home garden, whether you are interested in exploring the medicinal qualities, or wanting your landscape to reflect the traditional Hawaiian culture, or just looking for a beautiful new plant for a special spot.  Its needs are simple: good soil, lots of moisture, a little sun, and some patience to let the roots grow their magic.

For more information about the social, cultural, and agricultural aspects of ‘awa, visit Fowler’s Web site - Nuka Hiva Trading Company - at www.tribalsite.com, or call 965-9216.