Hawaii has a state flower, but do you know that each island also has its official flowers?
Hawaii is the land of beautiful Pua (flower). From the coastline to Kīlauea crater, rare and beautiful flowers can be found all over the archipelago. The stories of Hawaiian gods are often connected to many flowers, while some of the first Hawaiian people have been used for medical purposes. And when the flowers are stretched together, they will create beautiful lei flowers. Today, Lei is synonymous with Hawaii as a symbol of Aloha. However, what is less known are Pua represents each island. While Maʻo Hau Hele, the hibiscus flower, is the state of the state, each of the eight main archipelagos of Hawaii also has its flower and color.
Hawaii island flowers – ʻōhiʻa lehua flower
As the youngest island, Hawaiʻi Island is still being shaped by active volcanoes spraying lava, where people also think that the goddess of fire, Pele lives. The color of the large island is bright red and ʻōhiʻa Lehua (Metrosideros Polymorpha) is the island’s official flower. The resilient tree grows in many environments, including the active Kīlauea crater, where it has adapted to growing in lava stones.
Flowers are also the theme of a Moʻolelo (legend). A version of the story is when Pele meets a mighty warrior named ʻōhiʻa. She asked him to marry her, but ʻōhiʻa pledged his love for Lehua. Rage, Pele turned ʻōhiʻa into a twisted tree. Lehua was left alone and devastated. The other gods were merciful to Lehua and decided to turn her into a flower on the tree of ʻōhiʻa so that the two lovers could combine. Legend has it that if Lehua was picked, ʻōhiʻa would cry and tears like rain. This is one of the most beautiful Hawaii island colors.
Lānaʻi Island – kaunaʻoa flower
Gold Kanaʻoa creates an orange island. Hawaii Kim Duoc is an endemic grape, which grows down the ground along the beaches and coastline. The trunk is thin, with no leaves, yellow or orange and sometimes dotted by small flowers. While delicate flowers are quite beautiful, the tree is parasitic. The vine wrapped up other species to get food. In ancient Hawaii, Kaunaʻoa is combined with other plants to treat colds, clean the digestive tract and support women before and after childbirth.
Maui – Lokelani Rose, island colors Hawaii
The color of Valley Isle is pink from the petals of the island’s plant symbol, Lokelani rose. Flowers are a damask rose and extremely fragrant but extremely rare. And the exciting thing is that roses are not derived from Hawaiʻi like other flowers. Lokelani Rose is the most beautiful Hawaii island flowers.
Kahoʻolawe – Hinahina Kū Kahakai
Kahoʻolawe is the smallest island of the eight main islands with no people. The island is gray from the silver hinahina kamma (Heliotropium anomalum). The shrubs cover the beaches and coastal areas full of rocks with silver-green leaves. It is believed that these leaves have been used to make medicinal tea. The tree also produces a small, white aroma.
Molokaʻi – Pua Kukui Nut, Hawaii island flowers
Molokaʻi is covered with green and it is very suitable for the color of the island. There is no restaurant or business chain, only an open land, which feels like the old school in Hawaiʻi. The island’s flower is the pua flower from the kukui tree, also known as the pear tree (Aleurites Moluccanus). The ivory -white flowers, slender, have a slight aroma. Kukui is also the official tree of the state.
Hawaiian people first brought Kukui from Polynesia in a canoe. Kukui serves many purposes, including light sources because the oil from the nucleus is very flammable. The nucleus is stretched together and lit each seed. Nowadays, kukui nuts are often strung together to create Lei seeds.
OʻAhu Island – ʻilima flower
Nicknamed the gathering island, Oʻahu is always bustling with residents, tourists, businesses and endless activities. The color of the island is yellow, and its flower is pua flowers from ʻilima (sida fallax), a herbaceous tree in the hibiscus family. Ancient Hawaii people harvested yellow flowers for medicine and healing. Today, these flowers are still used to make flowers, but because they are as thin as paper, it takes 500-1,000 flowers to create a single flower.
Niʻihau – pūpū shell, island colors Hawaii
Unlike other islands, Niʻihau has no flowers. Instead, it is known for its unique white shell, where the color comes from. There are small, beautiful white shells found only on Niʻihau Island. The shell is like diamonds and strings into luxurious Lei particles. The Lei is a real work of art and can be sold for hundreds and thousands of dollars. For me, this is the best Hawaii island flowers.
Kauaʻi – Mokihana Berry
Garden Isle is full of bright flowers and green trees. The color of the island is the purple king and its flower comes from the endemic Mokihana tree (Pelea Anisata). Citrus has the address of the address growing in wet forests on Kauaʻi. Because Mokihana means the smell or fragrance, the thin leaves of the tree radiate a strong scent like anise when crushed. The bright green berries are stretched together to create beautiful fruits.
