Hawaiian Flowers

Hawaiian flowers are everywhere in the islands. They spill over fences, line hiking trails, fill hotel lobbies, and drape around your neck the moment you step off the plane. The diversity is staggering. Over 1,000 species of flowering plants grow in Hawaii, ranging from native species that exist nowhere else on Earth to tropical imports that have thrived in the volcanic soil for centuries.

This guide covers 20 flowers you are likely to see during a trip to Hawaii, including the official state flower, the blooms used in leis, and the native species tied to Hawaiian mythology and culture.

Hawaii State Flower: Yellow Hibiscus (Pua Aloalo)

The Hawaii state flower is the yellow hibiscus, known by its Hawaiian name pua aloalo or ma'o hau hele. Its scientific name is Hibiscus brackenridgei. The Hawaiian legislature designated it the official state flower in 1988, replacing the generic red hibiscus that had held the title since 1923.

The yellow hibiscus is native to Hawaii and grows wild on dry, rocky slopes. Unlike the common ornamental hibiscus you see in gardens and hotel landscaping across the islands, Hibiscus brackenridgei is endangered. Fewer than a few hundred wild plants remain, scattered across parts of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and the Big Island. Habitat loss and invasive species have pushed it to the brink.

You are unlikely to spot a wild yellow hibiscus on your trip. But cultivated specimens grow at several botanical gardens across the islands. The flowers are bright yellow with a dark maroon center, typically 4 to 6 inches across, and they bloom for just a single day before wilting.

20 Hawaiian Flowers You Will See on the Islands

1. Plumeria (Pua Melia)

Plumeria is the flower most visitors picture when they think of Hawaii. The five-petaled blooms grow in clusters on small trees throughout the islands, producing a sweet fragrance that carries on the breeze. Colors range from pure white with a yellow center to deep pink, salmon, and red.

Plumeria is not native to Hawaii. It arrived from Central America in the mid-1800s. But it adapted so well to the tropical climate that it now grows wild across all islands. Plumeria is the most common flower used in Hawaiian leis, and the one most visitors receive at the airport.

2. Hibiscus (Aloalo)

Hibiscus is the genus most associated with Hawaii. You will see red, pink, orange, white, and yellow varieties in hotel gardens, along roadsides, and in residential yards on every island. The large, showy flowers can reach 6 inches across, with a prominent central stamen.

Most hibiscus you see in Hawaii are ornamental hybrids, not the endangered native yellow hibiscus. The red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is the most common variety. Hawaiian women traditionally wear a hibiscus behind their ear: behind the right ear if single, behind the left if taken.

3. Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia)

The bird of paradise looks exactly like its name suggests. Bright orange and blue petals fan out from a green beak-shaped bract, creating a profile that resembles a tropical bird in flight. Native to South Africa, it thrives in Hawaii's warm climate and is a staple of hotel landscaping and floral arrangements.

You will find bird of paradise growing in gardens across all islands. They make popular cut flowers because they last up to two weeks in a vase, which also makes them a common souvenir for visitors to ship home.

4. Pikake (Hawaiian Jasmine)

Pikake is the Hawaiian name for Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac). The small, intensely fragrant white flowers are among the most prized lei flowers in Hawaii. Princess Ka'iulani, the last heir to the Hawaiian throne, loved both peacocks and jasmine. She named the flower "pikake" after the Hawaiian word for peacock.

Pikake leis are the most elegant and expensive lei variety. The flowers must be hand-strung while still in bud, and a single lei requires dozens of individual blossoms. The scent is unmistakable: sweet, heady, and deeply floral.

5. Orchids

Hawaii is home to three native orchid species, but the thousands of orchid varieties growing across the islands today are all introduced. The Big Island in particular is an orchid-growing powerhouse. Its Hamakua Coast and Hilo area nurseries export millions of orchids annually, earning the Big Island its nickname: the Orchid Isle.

Dendrobium orchids are the most common variety used in leis. They are durable, inexpensive, and come in purple, white, pink, and green. You can visit working orchid nurseries on the Big Island, including the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

6. Heliconia (Lobster Claw)

Heliconias are the architectural showstoppers of Hawaiian gardens. Their bracts (the colorful parts are technically not petals) hang in dramatic cascading chains of red, orange, and yellow. The hanging heliconia can reach 3 feet long. The upright varieties look like lobster claws, which is where the common name comes from.

Heliconias are native to Central and South America. They grow best in wet, shaded areas, so you will see the most impressive specimens on the windward (rainy) sides of the islands and in botanical gardens.

7. Anthurium

Anthuriums are the heart-shaped, waxy flowers that show up in hotel lobby arrangements and tropical bouquets across the islands. The shiny, flat spathe (the colorful "petal") comes in red, pink, white, green, and even chocolate brown. A yellow spike called a spadix protrudes from the center.

The Big Island is the center of Hawaii's anthurium industry. Commercial growers around Hilo produce millions of cut anthuriums each year for export. Wild anthuriums also grow in wet forests at lower elevations.

8. Red Ginger (Awapuhi 'Ula'ula)

Red ginger produces tall, cone-shaped flower heads that can reach 12 inches long. The bright red bracts layer over each other like shingles, creating a dramatic torch-like shape atop a stalk that can grow 6 to 8 feet tall. The true flowers are small white blooms that peek out from between the red bracts.

You will see red ginger along roadsides and in gardens on the wetter sides of each island. It is native to Malaysia but has naturalized throughout Hawaii.

9. White Ginger (Awapuhi Ke'oke'o)

White ginger is one of the most fragrant flowers in Hawaii. The delicate white blossoms grow in clusters and release a sweet, intoxicating scent, especially in the evening. A single stalk of white ginger can perfume an entire room.

White ginger grows wild in wet forests and along stream banks. It is commonly used in leis and corsages. Like red ginger, it is not native to Hawaii but has been growing in the islands for over a century.

10. Yellow Ginger (Awapuhi Melemele)

Yellow ginger was one of the first ornamental plants brought to Hawaii by early Polynesian settlers. The pale yellow flowers are slightly smaller and less showy than white ginger but carry a similar sweet fragrance. It has naturalized so thoroughly across the islands that many people assume it is native.

11. Protea

Protea flowers look like they belong on another planet. The large, spiky blooms can reach the size of a dinner plate, with stiff, colorful petals radiating from a fuzzy center. Native to South Africa, proteas found a perfect growing environment on the slopes of Haleakala on Maui, where the high-altitude conditions (3,000 to 4,000 feet) mimic their homeland.

Maui's Upcountry region is the center of Hawaii's protea industry. Farms in Kula grow over 40 varieties, and you can visit several of them on a drive through Kula Botanical Gardens and the surrounding area. Proteas are prized as cut flowers because they last for weeks and dry beautifully.

12. Ti Plant (Ki)

The ti plant is not technically a flower, but no guide to Hawaiian plants would be complete without it. Its long, sword-shaped leaves appear in green, red, and variegated varieties. Ti leaves are woven into leis, used to wrap food for cooking in an imu (underground oven), and planted around homes for good luck.

In Hawaiian culture, ti is considered sacred. Kahuna (priests) used ti leaves in blessings and ceremonies. You will see ti plants growing in virtually every yard and garden across the islands.

13. Naupaka

Naupaka is one of the most culturally significant plants in Hawaii. The small white flowers look like they have been torn in half, with petals only on one side. Two species exist: beach naupaka (Scaevola taccada) grows along the coast, and mountain naupaka (Scaevola gaudichaudiana) grows in upland forests.

A famous Hawaiian legend explains the half-flower shape. Two lovers were separated by the gods, one banished to the mountains and one to the sea. Each carries only half a flower. When you place a beach naupaka blossom next to a mountain naupaka blossom, they form a complete flower, reuniting the lovers.

14. 'Ohi'a Lehua

'Ohi'a lehua is the most important native flowering tree in Hawaii. It is the first plant to colonize new lava flows, and its bright red, pom-pom shaped flowers (called lehua) are sacred to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. The flowers also come in yellow, orange, and rare pink varieties.

You will see 'ohi'a lehua forests across Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. According to Hawaiian legend, picking a lehua blossom from the tree will cause rain, because you are separating the lovers 'Ohi'a and Lehua, who were turned into a tree and flower by Pele.

'Ohi'a forests face a serious threat from Rapid 'Ohi'a Death (ROD), a fungal disease that has killed hundreds of thousands of trees on the Big Island since 2014. Researchers at the University of Hawaii are working to contain the spread.

15. Ilima

Ilima is a small, delicate flower that holds outsized cultural weight. The paper-thin golden-orange blossoms were traditionally reserved for Hawaiian royalty, and ilima leis were among the most prestigious adornments in the Hawaiian kingdom. A single ilima lei can require over 1,000 individual flowers, each one hand-picked and strung.

Ilima is the official flower of the island of Oahu. It is a native Hawaiian plant that grows as a low shrub in dry, coastal areas. Despite its small size, the flower's connection to Hawaiian ali'i (royalty) gives it a significance that far exceeds its physical stature.

16. Puakenikeni

Puakenikeni means "ten-cent flower" in Hawaiian, a name that dates to an era when the fragrant blooms sold for ten cents each. The tubular flowers open creamy white and gradually darken to deep orange over two to three days. They produce one of the most distinctive scents in Hawaii: rich, sweet, and slightly spicy.

Puakenikeni leis are highly sought after. The flowers must be picked at just the right stage and strung quickly. You will often see puakenikeni trees in residential yards, where homeowners grow them specifically for lei-making.

17. Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is not subtle. These vigorous vines explode in cascading masses of magenta, purple, red, orange, pink, and white, covering fences, walls, and entire buildings. The colorful parts are actually papery bracts surrounding tiny white flowers.

Native to South America, bougainvillea thrives in Hawaii's dry, sunny areas. It grows particularly well on the leeward (western) sides of the islands, where it gets full sun and less rain. You will see it everywhere from highway medians to luxury resort landscaping.

18. Plumeria Obtusa (Singapore Plumeria)

A lesser-known cousin of the common plumeria, Singapore plumeria has rounded leaf tips instead of pointed ones and produces pure white flowers with a yellow center. The leaves are evergreen, unlike the common plumeria which drops its leaves in winter. The fragrance is lighter and more subtle than its showier relative.

19. Blue Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys)

The blue jade vine produces some of the most striking flowers you will ever see. Claw-shaped blooms in an electric turquoise-blue hang in clusters that can reach 3 feet long. Native to the Philippines, it grows at several botanical gardens in Hawaii, including Foster Botanical Gardens on Oahu.

Finding a blue jade vine in bloom is a highlight of any garden visit. The color is so vivid it looks artificial, but it is entirely natural.

20. Cup of Gold (Solandra maxima)

Cup of gold is a large, dramatic vine with chalice-shaped flowers that start pale yellow and deepen to golden orange. Each bloom can be 6 to 8 inches across. The vine itself is aggressive, capable of covering large structures. You will see it growing on fences, pergolas, and trellises at botanical gardens and private homes across the islands.

Flowers Used in Hawaiian Leis

The lei is the most recognizable symbol of Hawaiian hospitality. Every visitor receives one at some point during their trip, whether it is a simple plumeria strand at the airport or an elaborate pikake lei at a luau. But not all leis are flowers. Leaves, ferns, nuts, shells, and feathers are also traditional lei materials.

The most common flowers used in Hawaiian leis include:

• Plumeria -- the standard greeting lei, available at every airport lei stand. Affordable and fragrant.
• Orchid (Dendrobium) -- durable and inexpensive, often used for bulk orders at events and conferences.
• Pikake -- the most elegant and expensive flower lei. Traditionally given at weddings.
• Tuberose -- long, waxy white blooms with an intense sweetness. A single tuberose lei fills a room with scent.
• Ilima -- the royal lei flower of Oahu. Extremely labor-intensive to make.
• Puakenikeni -- prized for its evolving color (white to orange) and spicy-sweet scent.
• Crown flower (Pua kalaunu) -- small, waxy lavender or white flowers. A favorite of Queen Lili'uokalani, Hawaii's last monarch.
• Maile -- technically a vine, not a flower. Maile leis are open-ended and drape over the shoulders. Used in ceremonies, blessings, and graduations.

Lei etiquette matters. Never refuse a lei when it is offered to you. Wear it draped over your shoulders, not hanging around your neck like a necklace. When you are finished wearing it, do not throw it in the trash. Return it to nature by draping it over a tree, leaving it at the ocean's edge, or hanging it on a doorknob.

Where to See Hawaiian Flowers

Flowers grow everywhere in Hawaii, but botanical gardens offer the best concentrated viewing. Each island has at least one world-class garden where you can see dozens of tropical species in a single visit.

Oahu

• Foster Botanical Gardens (Honolulu) -- one of the oldest botanical gardens in Hawaii, with rare tropical trees and a blue jade vine collection.
• Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden (Kaneohe) -- a 400-acre garden set against the Ko'olau Mountains. Free admission. One of the most photographed spots on Oahu.

Maui

• Kula Botanical Gardens (Upcountry) -- protea capital of Hawaii. Excellent collection of native Hawaiian plants and tropical flowers at 3,300 feet elevation.
• Garden of Eden Arboretum (Road to Hana) -- 26 acres of curated tropical gardens along the Hana Highway.
• Kahanu Garden (Hana) -- part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden system, featuring breadfruit, coconut, and native Hawaiian species alongside Pi'ilanihale Heiau, the largest ancient temple in Polynesia.

Big Island

• Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (Onomea Bay, north of Hilo) -- a rainforest garden with over 2,000 species including heliconias, gingers, orchids, and bromeliads. One of the best botanical gardens in the state.
• Akatsuka Orchid Gardens (Volcano) -- free admission, thousands of orchid varieties near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
• Lili'uokalani Gardens (Hilo) -- a Japanese-style garden with tropical plantings on Hilo Bay.

Kauai

• National Tropical Botanical Garden (Poipu / Kalaheo) -- the only tropical botanical garden chartered by the US Congress. Two separate garden areas: Allerton Garden and McBryde Garden, both in Lawai Valley.
• Limahuli Garden (Ha'ena, North Shore) -- a stunning garden in a valley setting, focused on native Hawaiian plants and traditional Hawaiian agriculture. Named one of the best natural botanical gardens in the US by the American Horticultural Society.
• Na 'Aina Kai Botanical Gardens (Kilauea) -- 240 acres of themed gardens, sculpture, and hardwood plantations on the North Shore.

Hawaiian Flower Meanings and Cultural Significance

Flowers are woven into the fabric of Hawaiian life in ways that go far beyond decoration. They mark births, deaths, graduations, weddings, and arrivals. They represent gods, legends, and island identity. Understanding what flowers mean in Hawaiian culture adds a layer of depth to what you see on your trip.

'Ohi'a lehua and Pele. The red lehua blossom is sacred to Pele, goddess of fire and volcanoes. Legends say that picking lehua from the tree separates two lovers and brings rain. You will hear this story on nearly every Big Island tour that passes through volcanic areas.

Naupaka and separated lovers. The half-flower shape of naupaka has inspired one of the most enduring Hawaiian love stories. The beach and mountain varieties each carry only half the petals, representing lovers who can never be reunited.

Ilima and royalty. Ilima was the flower of the ali'i (chiefs and royalty). On Oahu, ilima leis still carry prestige. The tiny flowers require extraordinary patience to harvest and string, reflecting the value placed on the recipient.

Maile and ceremonies. Maile vine is the most sacred lei material in Hawaiian tradition. It is used in blessings, dedications, weddings, and religious ceremonies. A maile lei is given to honor someone.

Plumeria and welcome. The plumeria lei has become synonymous with the aloha spirit of welcome. The flower's sweet scent and soft texture represent warmth, friendship, and the beauty of Hawaii itself.

Each Hawaiian island also has an official flower or color associated with it:

• Big Island (Hawaii) -- red 'ohi'a lehua
• Maui -- lokelani (pink cottage rose)
• Oahu -- ilima
• Kauai -- mokihana (a green berry, technically a fruit)
• Molokai -- white kukui blossom
• Lanai -- kaunaoa (orange dodder vine)
• Ni'ihau -- white pupu shell (not a flower)
• Kaho'olawe -- hinahina (beach heliotrope)