Cabbage on a Stick (Brighamia insignis): Endangered Hawaiian Succulent

Overview

Cabbage on a Stick (Brighamia insignis), or Ōlulu, is a critically endangered Hawaiian endemic succulent. It has a thick, swollen, bottle-shaped trunk topped with a dense rosette of fleshy, spoon-shaped, glossy green leaves. Fragrant, yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers bloom in fall. Its natural pollinator (a hawk moth) is extinct; it survives only through hand-pollination and cultivation. A unique, caudiciform "cabbage on a stick" silhouette. Requires warm, humid conditions and well-drained soil. A conservation icon.

Key Features

• Trunk: Thick, swollen, bottle-shaped; gray-green.
• Leaves: Spoon-shaped, glossy green; dense rosette.
• Flowers: Yellow, trumpet-shaped, fragrant; fall.
• Conservation: Critically endangered; extinct in wild; hand-pollinated.

Care Guidelines

Light

Bright light, protect from intense sun.

Water

Moderate when growing; reduce in winter. Good drainage.

Soil

Well-drained, rich organic mix.

Temperature

Warm (65–85°F). No frost.

Taxonomy

Family:	Campanulaceae
Genus:	Brighamia (brig-AM-ee-uh)
Species:	insignis (in-SIG-nis)