ʻIlima ʻIlima.
Delicate golden-yellow papery flowers — the official island flower of Oʻahu.
ʻIlima is a native Hawaiian shrub with small, delicate, papery golden-yellow flowers. It is the official island flower of Oʻahu and one of the most culturally significant plants in lei-making.
An ʻilima lei is famously labor-intensive — it takes 500 to 1,000 individual flowers to make a single full lei, since each blossom is small and lasts only one day. These were once known as the lei of royalty (lei aliʻi) and reserved for special occasions.
The plant grows in many forms across the islands, from a low ground-hugging shrub on windswept coasts to a tall upright bush in dry forests, and remains one of the easiest natives to grow in Hawaiian landscapes.
More from Coastal Plants.
ʻŌhai
An endangered native shrub with stunning orange-red pea-like flowers and silvery foliage.
Naupaka kahakai
A wave-tough beach shrub with distinctive "half-flowers."
Maʻo hau hele
The bright yellow Hawaiian hibiscus — official state flower of Hawaiʻi.
Hala
The Hawaiian screwpine, instantly recognizable by its aerial prop roots and pineapple-like fruit.