A close-up of a young hapu'u fern frond, one of many found all over the east side of the Big Island. As the young shoots uncurl, they have fine, velvety-soft golden "hair" called pulu. In the 1800s, pulu was commercially collected and used as stuffing for pillows and mattresses. The remnants of an old pulu factory can still be seen along the Napau Crater Trail in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Hapu'u Fern Frond with Pulu, Big Island A close-up of a young hapu'u fern frond, one of many found all over the east side of the Big Island. As the young shoots uncurl, they have fine, velvety-soft golden "hair" called pulu. In the 1800s, pulu was commercially collected and used as stuffing for pillows and mattresses. The remnants of an old pulu factory can still be seen along the Napau Crater Trail in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
