Hawaiian hibiscus are seven species of
hibiscus native to
Hawaii. The yellow hibiscus is Hawaii's state flower. Most commonly grown as
ornamental plants in the Hawaiian Islands are the non-native
Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and its numerous hybrids, though the native Hibiscus arnottianus is occasionally planted.
The native plants in the genus Hibiscus in Hawaii are thought to have derived from four independent colonization events for the five endemic species (four closely related species plus the yellow-flowered species) and one each for the two indigenous species.[1]
Hibiscus arnottianusA.Gray – kokiʻo keʻokeʻo ("kokiʻo that is white like the shine of silver") is an endemic species of hibiscus with white flowers. Three subspecies are recognized: H. arnottianus ssp. arnottianus found in the
Waianae Range of western
Oahu; H. a. ssp. immaculatus which is very rare (listed as endangered) on
Molokai; and H. a. ssp. punaluuensis from the
Koʻolau Range on Oahu. Perhaps only a dozen plants of H. a. ssp. immaculatus exist in nature in
mesic and
wet forests.[2] This species is closely related to H. waimeae, and the two are among the very few members of the genus with fragrant flowers. It is sometimes planted as an ornamental or crossed with H. rosa-sinensis. In the
Hawaiian language, the white hibiscus is known as the pua aloalo.[3]
Hibiscus brackenridgei A.Gray – maʻo hau hele ("hau most similar to maʻo") is a tall shrub (up to 10 m or 33 ft) with bright yellow flowers, closely related to the widespread H. divaricatus. Two subspecies are recognized: H. b. ssp. brackenridgei, a sprawling shrub to an erect tree found in
dry forests and
low shrublands at elevations of 400–2,600 ft (120–790 m) above sea level on
Molokai,
Lanai, Maui, and the
island of Hawaii;[4] and H. b. ssp. mokuleianus, a tree from dry habitats on Kauai and the Waianae Range on Oahu. This species is listed as an
endangered species by the
USFWS. The yellow flower of this species was made the
official state flower of Hawaii on 6 June 1988,[5] and although endangered in its natural habitats, has become a moderately popular ornamental in Hawaiian yards.
Hibiscus furcellatusDesr. is a pink-flowered hibiscus considered an indigenous species, typically found in low and
marshy areas of the
Caribbean,
Florida,
Central and
South America, and Hawaii, where it is known as ʻakiohala, ʻakiahala, hau hele, and hau hele wai ("entirely
pucehau").
Hibiscus kokioHillebr., kokiʻo or kokiʻo ʻula ("red kokiʻo") is a shrub or small tree (3–7 m or 9.8–23.0 ft) with red to orangish (or rarely yellow) flowers. This endemic species is not officially listed, but considered rare in nature. Two subspecies are recognized: H. kokio ssp. kokio found in dry to
wet forests on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and possibly Hawaii at elevations of 70–800 m (230–2,620 ft);[6] and H. k. ssp. saintjohnianus from northwestern Kauai at elevations of 150–890 m (490–2,920 ft).[7]
Hibiscus tiliaceusL., hau, is a spreading shrub or tree common to the tropics and subtropics, especially in coastal areas. This species is possibly indigenous to Hawaii, but may have been introduced by the early
Polynesians.
Hibiscus waimeaeA.Heller, kokiʻo keʻokeʻo or kokiʻo kea ("kokiʻo that is white as snow"), is a Hawaiian endemic, gray-barked tree, 6–10 m (20–33 ft) tall, with white flowers that fade to pink in the afternoon. Two subspecies are recognized: H. waimeae ssp. hannerae (rare and listed as endangered) found in northwestern valleys of Kauai, and H. w. ssp. waimeae occurring in the
Waimea Canyon and some western to southern valleys on Kauai. This species closely resembles H. arnottianus in a number of characteristics.
Hibiscus arnottianus
Hibiscus brackenridgei
Hibiscus clayi
Hibiscus furcellatus
Hibiscus kokio
Hibiscus tiliaceus
Hibiscus waimeae
Other Malvaceae
In addition to the species of Hibiscus listed above, flowers of several other related Hawaiian plants of the family
Malvaceae resemble Hibiscus flowers, although are generally smaller. The endemic genus, Hibiscadelphus, comprises seven species described from Hawaii. Three of these are now thought to be extinct and the remaining four are listed as critically endangered or extinct in the wild. Another endemic genus, Kokia, comprises four species of trees. All but one (K. kauaiensis) are listed as either
extinct or nearly extinct in the wild.
Three endemic species of the pantropical genus, Abutilon occur in Hawaii: A. eremitopetalum, A. menziesii, and A. sandwicense; all are listed as
endangered. Cotton plants (Gossypium spp.), whose bright yellow flowers are certainly hibiscus-like, include one endemic: G. tomentosum, uncommon but found in dry places on all the main islands except Hawaii. The widespread milo (Thespesia populnea) is an indigenous tree with yellow and maroon flowers.
South Korea's national flower is the
Hibiscus syriacus which is widely found in Hawaii, too.