Hawaiian hibiscus. The scientific name of the Hawaiian hibiscus is Hibiscus brackenridgei. The genus Hibiscus includes some 200 species, seven of which are regarded as native Hawaiian hibiscus.

Hawaiian hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii

Hawaiian Hibiscus is a tall shrub with bright yellow flowers. The Hawaiian Hibiscus endangered in its natural habitats.

The Hawaiian Hibiscus has become a moderately popular ornamental in Hawaiian yards. This is a great example of green gardening. Growing the Hawaiian Hibiscus as an ornamental garden plant in Hawaii helps protect this species from extinction.

The Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and its numerous hybrids are more commonly grown as garden ornamental plants in the Hawaiian Islands.

If you need a floral arrangement with Hawaiian Hibiscus flowers, you need to give your florist plenty of lead time.

Read more about Hawaiian Hibiscus the State Flower of Hawaii.

Hibiscus clayi

The genus Hibiscus includes some 200 species, seven of which are regarded as native Hawaiian hibiscus. Although tourists regularly do associate the hibiscus flower with their experiences visiting the US state of Hawaii, and the plant family Malvaceae includes a relatively large number of species that are native to the Hawaiian Islands, those flowers presented to or regularly observed by tourists are generally not the native hibiscus flowers. Most commonly grown as ornamental plants in the Islands are the Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and its numerous hybrids.

The native plants in the genus Hibiscus in Hawaii are thought to have derived from four independent colonization events: two for the five endemic species (four closely related species plus the yellow-flowered species) and one each for the two indigenous species (Wagner, Herbst, and Sohmer, 1990).

The native hibiscus (Genus Hibiscus) found in Hawaii are:

Hibiscus arnottianus A. Gray  kokio is an endemic species of hibiscus with white flowers. Three subspecies are recognized: H. arnottianus arnottianus found in the Waianae mountain of western Oahu; H. a. immaculatus which is very rare (listed as endangered) on Molokai; and H. a. punaluuensis from the Koolau mountain on Oahu. Perhaps only a dozen plants of H. a. immaculatus exist in nature. This species is closely related to H. waimeae. Sometimes planted as an ornamental.

Hibiscus brackenridgei A. Gray  mao hau hele is a tall shrub with bright yellow flowers, closely related to the widespread H. divaricatus. Two subspecies are recognized: H. b. brackenridgei, a sprawling shrub to an erect tree found on Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii; and H. b. mokuleianus, a tree from dry habitats on Kauai and Waianae mountain on Oahu. This species is listed as an endangered species by the USFWS. The yellow flower of this species is the official state flower of Hawaii, and although endangered in its natural habitats, has become a moderately popular ornamental in Hawaiian yards.

Hibiscus clayi Degener & Degener  An endemic shrub or small tree with bright red flowers, generally similar to H. kokio, and found in nature on Kauai in dry forests. Listed as endangered by USFWS.

Hibiscus furcellatus Desr.  a pink-flowered hibiscus considered an indigenous species, typically found in low and marshy areas of the West Indies, Florida, Central and South America, and Hawaii. It is known to the Hawaiians as akiohala, akiahala, hau hele, and hau hele wai.

Hibiscus kokio Hillebr.  kokio or kokio ula is a shrub or small tree 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 kokio found in dry to wet forests on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and possibly Hawaii; and H. k. saintjohnianus from northwestern Kauai.

Hibiscus tiliaceus L.  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 waimeae A. Heller  kokio keokeo or kokio kea is a Hawaiian endemic, gray-barked tree, 6-10 m tall, with white flowers that fade to pink in the afternoon. Two subspecies are recognized: H. waimeae hannerae (rare and listed as endangered) found in northwestern valleys of Kauai, and H. w. 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.

In addition to the species of Hibiscus listed above, there are several other related Hawaiian plants of the family Malvaceae whose flowers 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 and either extinct or nearly extinct in the wild.

Hawaiian Hibiscus Relatives: Malvaceae

Three endemic species of the New World genus, Abutilon occur in Hawaii: A. eremitopetalum, A. menziesii, and A. sandwicense; all are listed as endangered. The cotton plant (genus Gossypium), whose bright yellow flowers are certainly hibiscus-like, includes 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.

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