Nohu Nohu.
Bright yellow flowers on a low, spreading shoreline plant — with notoriously spiny burs.
Nohu is a low, sprawling shoreline plant with bright yellow flowers and feathery, divided leaves. It is one of the easiest natives to spot along sandy paths near the beach.
Its seed pods, however, are infamous — they form hard, sharply spined burs that hitch rides on bare feet, slippers, and bicycle tires alike, often with painful results.
Despite the burs, nohu is a valuable beach pioneer that helps stabilize sand and provides ground cover for native insects and ground-nesting birds.
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.