Hawaiians would plant ti around their homes and temples to keep bad spirits away and hold good the fortune inside. Some people say ti planted to the right of one's front door wards off evil spirits. The plants also grow untended in the lower forests. On Molokai, the mountain pool at Halawa was said to be the home of a mo'o, water dragon. Before swimming in the pool, it was advised that one should throw in a ti leaf and see whether it sank or floated. If the leaf sank, it was not a good day to swim. The mo'o was awake.