When I grew up, my mother taught me that having fern inside as a potted plant, improves the air quality. When I later came to Hawaii, I therefore found it comforting to see so much fern grow there, as well as it being used in Hawaiian Hula dances for ornamentation. It’s also one of very few plants that grows both in Sweden and in Hawaii. For a while, I also stayed at the YWCA Fernhurst in Honolulu, where they even have ferns growing like spirals. It made me fascinated, and provided me with a feeling of confirmation.

Even though, I don’t eat it, it’s still a healing plant to me. I always feel at home with fern, and therefore grateful to have it growing in the forest, close to where I currently live in Sweden too. Going for walks in the woods, was something my grandparents often did, on both sides in my family. Now, I do too and keep two wild leaves in a vase with water, that stay fresh for weeks. It keeps me connected to Hula, and to the spirit of the dance, as well as align with my ancestral lineage.

Which plant is sacred to you and why?

Here, is a webpage about some of the folklore and myths about fern in Hawaii.