The first cultivar（培育植物） of 'ōhelo berry, a popular native Hawaiian fruit, has been released by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and their university and industry cooperators. 'Ōhelo (Vaccinium reticulatum Smith) is a small, native Hawaiian shrub¹（灌木） in the cranberry²（蔓越橘） family, commonly found at high elevations³ on the islands of Maui and Hawaii. As people scour⁴（擦，冲刷） the landscape to harvest this delectable⁵ berry for use in jam, jelly and pie filling, they unfortunately disrupt the fragile habitats where this plant grows.

In an effort to reduce damage to the environment and meet consumer demands, horticulturist Francis T.P. Zee, with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) in Hilo, Hawaii, is evaluating 'ōhelo for small farm production and ornamental⁶ use. Zee collaborated⁷ with fellow ARS scientists and cooperators at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Big Island Candies and the Big Island Association of Nurserymen. ARS is the principal intramural（内部的） scientific research agency of USDA.

Zee and his team selected the offspring of seed-grown plants to create the new cultivar "Kilauea" for berry production. They found 'ōhelo's tiny seeds readily germinated⁸ under 20-30 percent shade in well-watered and well-drained potting mixture. Plant hardiness⁹ and vigor¹⁰ improved with age, and some seedlings¹¹ flowered just 10 months after germination¹², much sooner than the 5 years reported in previous studies. The 16-month-old plants Zee successfully transplanted from the greenhouse to the field produced berries a year later.

Zee also used cuttings and tissue culture to propagate selected 'ōhelo of high ornamental（装饰的） potential. With proper care, young, growing shoots of 'ōhelo can be groomed¹³ into vibrant¹⁴, colorful ornamental potted plants. Since the plant is not seasonal¹⁵, its readiness for market can be scheduled by trimming and fertilizing¹⁶. Older potted 'ōhelo plants can be trained into a bonsai¹⁷（盆栽） and can readily adapt to the office environment.

Zee and PBARC scientists are currently examining the disease and insect problems associated with growing potted 'ōhelo. Full descriptions of Zee's 'ōhelo studies can be found on the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources' (CTAHR) website.