1. nvs. Tree, plant, wood, timber, forest, stick, pole, rod, splinter, thicket, club; blow or stroke of a club; strength, rigidness, hardness; male erection; to have formed mature wood, as of a seedling; wooden, woody; stiff, as wood.

2. nvs. Medicine, medical. Hoʻohuihui lāʻau, paʻipaʻi lāʻau, chemistry.

If my calculations are correct (and since the ʻAimalama Conference I am trying to rely upon my own calculations as I kilo into the sky) we are in the Lāʻau moons — a series of three: Lāʻaukūkahi, Lāʻaukūlua, Lā’aupau. The waning phase. If you want to know what they look like (rather than me pulling a photo from the internet), go take a look into the night sky.

Lāʻau refers to plants, trees, most types of vegetations, and medicinal plants. You probably don’t want to be planting fruiting plants on the Lāʻau days as it is thought that the fruits would be “woody” and I have also read that you should avoid planting seed bearing plants. Other types of planting is maikaʻi. Lāʻau is also a good time to collect the plants needed for medicine. Yes. There are times that are better to collect lāʻau needed for healing because various parts of the plants are more potent at certain times of the moon phases. Some smart the kanaka.

Hānau ʻia i ka pō Lāʻau, he lāʻau nā iwi, he koa – Born was he on a Lāʻau night for his bones are hard and he is fearless (Said of a bold, fearless person).

He lāʻau kū hoʻokahi, he lehua no Kaʻala – A lone tree, a lehua of Kaʻala (An expression of admiration for an outstanding person, unequaled in beauty, wisdom or skill).

He lāʻau maka no ka nāhelehele – A green wood of the forest (An inexperienced person).

E noho ma lalo o ka lāʻau maka iho mai ka huihui, māʻona ka ʻōpū – Sit under a green tree. When the cluster comes down, the stomach is filled (serve a worthy person. When your reward comes you will never be hungry.)