Hawaii State Flower Facts: Here's All About The Official State Flower

Hibiscus is popularly known as pua aloalo or ma'o hau hele in the Hawaiian language.

Hibiscus shrubs can range from a height of about only 3 ft (0.9 m) to as high as 15 ft (4.5 m) in full growth. These shrubs can be found in many places on the islands of Hawaii state.

The official state flower of Hawaii is the yellow hibiscus, also known as Hibiscus Brackenridgei, in scientific terms. This flower is not declared endangered due to its decline in natural habitat; hence it is preserved and looked after in Hawaii.

Yellow hibiscus blossoms throughout the year, but the blooming season occurs after spring till summer, producing the most beautiful, colorful blooms, which are the largest hibiscus flowers all over the world.

These flower blooms last only for one day, after which the yellow hibiscus closes up and falls. Apart from the official flower, the Hawaiian islands also have various subspecies of hibiscus growing all over the islands in multiple colors. These magnificent flowers' colors, shapes, and sizes have captured our imaginations for centuries.

Read on to know more about the official state flower of Hawaii and subsequently also check Georgia colony fun facts and France government facts.

History Of The Hawaii State Flower

Are you interested in knowing about the history of Hawaii state flower? Looking for information on how the red hibiscus became the state flower of Hawaii? Then read on for some interesting facts about the history of Hawaii state flower:

In early 1920, Hawaii declared all the hibiscus which were growing on the Hawaiian islands as their state flower and territorial emblem.

When Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959, the state legislature adopted the hibiscus flower as its state symbol. Usually, the red hibiscus was used as a symbol for Hawaii state before the late 1980s. In 1988, Hawaii selected its state flower as the yellow hibiscus or the hibiscus Brackenridge as its official state flower, which became the islands' symbol.

It is interesting to note that most Hawaiian islands have their own species of hibiscus as the region's flower, but overall the state recognizes hibiscus Brackenridge as its symbol.

Significance Of Hawaii's State Flower

We now know that the state flower of Hawaii is the red hibiscus, but what is the significance of this flower for the state? Let us together explore the different aspects of the significance of the Hawaii state flower: -

The state flower of Hawaii, which is the yellow hibiscus is native to the Hawaiian islands. In Hawaiian culture, the flower generally represents power and respect. It also symbolizes royalty, hence why it is commonly presented to visitors, tourists, and state officials.

There are certain traits of this flower that helps one to identify and differentiate it from other species of hibiscus flowers. The yellow hibiscus is a very large flower with a diameter of about 4-6 in (10.1-15.2 cm).

They are yellow in color, with the center of the flower in a darker, maroon color. The stamen of the flower is also yellow in color.

Yellow hibiscus usually grows alone but sometimes also blooms in clusters on a single stem. Today, yellow hibiscus is popular among gardeners and gardening enthusiasts as the hibiscus plant forms a very popular landscaping option.

Apart from that, the hibiscus flowers themselves are edible and can also be used to make herbal teas, shampoos, hair products, and even papermaking. This is the reason that these flowers are used widely in different households of the state for varied requirements.

Hibiscus Varieties Available In Hawaii

We have understood why the red hibiscus is extremely important for the state of Hawaii, but do you know that several varieties of the flower are present in Hawaii. So which one is your favorite variety of hibiscus? Read on to learn more about the availability of different varieties of hibiscus in the state of Hawaii:

There are seven species that have been recognized as being native to the islands in Hawaii. Hibiscus plants are commonly found in regions with subtropical and tropical climates, which have warm temperatures throughout the year.

Hibiscus Arnottianus is a species that is white in color and found only on the Hawaiian islands.

Hibiscus Brackenridgei is the yellow hibiscus which is the state flower. This flower has been declared an endangered plant in its natural habitat by the USFWS. The hibiscus brackenridgei plant is usually found in low shrublands and dry forests around Hawaii.

Hibiscus Clayi is also a species of hibiscus native to the Hawaiian islands, which has bright red flowers. These flowers were used to represent Hawaii for a long time which is also seen in some instances even today. This plant is also declared endangered.

Hibiscus Kokio is a plant that is a small shrub and has hibiscus flowers that appear in the shades of red to orange. This species is considered very rare in nature as it is hard to come across in a natural environment.

Hibiscus Furcellatus is an indigenous species that bears pink hibiscus flowers. It is also known as akiohala, akiahala, hau hele, or hau hele wai in the Hawaiian language.

Hibiscus Waimea is a species of hibiscus native to the Hawaiian islands. This plant grows to a height of about 20-33 ft (6.0-10 m) tall, which is quite tall for a hibiscus plant.

The flowers of this plant appear to be white in the morning and have a faint pink color in the afternoon. This species resembles hibiscus arnottianus in several characteristics.

Hibiscus tiliaceus is a plant that spreads rather than reaches tall heights. It is commonly found on the Hawaiian islands, to which it is native.

Why is the Hawaii state flower endangered?

Like most other people, are you also wondering why the Hawaii state flower is endangered? Then here are some interesting facts to tell you more about the reasons behind this development.

The USFWS has declared the state flower of Hawaii, the yellow hibiscus, as an endangered species. This is mainly because this plant and flowers are only found on the Hawaiian islands and nowhere else in the world, at least naturally.

It has been found that there are very few plants remaining of this species out in the wild, and their numbers are declining due to various factors like human intervention and habitat degradation caused by development and human invasion.

Other exotic plants and animals also tend to compete with the native plants and destroy them, which effectively reduces their numbers. It was found that almost 60 plants of yellow hibiscus are actually growing in the wild, which is not a huge number.

But several organizations are implementing conservation of this plant with the help of horticulturists, giving them a place to thrive under observation in numerous botanical gardens.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Hawaii State Flower facts: here's all about the official state flower, then why not take a look at Georgia facts or Ecuador Culture facts.