Kō, or sugarcane, is a tall grass introduced to Hawai’i by the Polynesians who first settled onto the islands as one of their ‘canoe plants’. This plant does best in full sun, with moist soils that have good aeration and drainage. Kō grows best when given nitrogen-rich fertilizer regularly.

Kō has been used for centuries as a sweet snack. Specific varieties of kō have been selected to be used in cultural ceremonies. It can be consumed either by juicing it and using it as a sweetener or chewing on the raw stalk as a snack. The fibers on the stalks have also been used to scrub teeth and gums.