The Hawaii State Flower is yellow … not red. Gotcha!

It’s true. The native yellow hibiscus (Hibiscus brackenridgei A. Gray), also known as the Pua Aloalo or Ma`o-hau-hele, was established and designated as the official flower of the State of Hawaii in 1988.

Up to that time, just about any old hibiscus could be considered as the State Flower. Red was usually a popular choice.

So, just to show you my heart’s in the right place, and because I’ve been gone so long (another contest of wills between this blog platform and myself), I brang you a flower.

When you’re in Hawaii you’ll see many beautiful yellow hibiscus blossoms, but most won’t be the real deal. To paraphrase the University of Hawaii botanical guys:  It is native to dry forests and shrub lands at elevations from 400 to 2,600 feet, and is found on all the main Hawaiian islands except Ni’ihau and Kaho’olawe.  But it is not common in any location.

And This is a Modern Situation

The  official blossom was once prevalent in the locations mentioned above, but started to decline after the arrival of western cultures in the Hawaiian Islands. As often happens, new arrivals bring alien, exotic plants with them. Those plants bring diseases endemic and indigenous species are not immune to.

Where Can I find Them?

Check with local garden clubs, the Bishop Museum, and paid tropical gardens. The resort you’re staying at might also have some plantings.

Ok, Now for News Flash and "Fun Facts About Hawaii"

First, the ever popular News Flash: I gotta qualify this announcement, because it’s one of those "left field" notices from Hawaiian Airlines.

• Seattle-Maui: $436
• Portland-Maui: $572
• Phoenix-Honolulu: $642
• San Francisco-Honolulu: $644

 It’s worth checking out through folks like  Orbitz or Expedia. Don’t get nervous I’m not an affiliate … yet.

Fun Facts About Hawaii: At 4,063 square miles, the Big Island of Hawaii is the largest island in the United States. Think about it.

(Apprentice Blogmaster Note: I’m using a new font, Comic Sans MS. Do you like it, or no? Love to see your comments. Be Gentle.)

 Aloha  a hui hou

[Apprentice Blogmaster Note: If you've been back to this blog, and the news seemed to be stale, that's because IT WAS. My blog platform and I have been in serious dispute as to who runs this outfit. Especially about pictures I want to display. Not the kind of pictures, but where they are displayed, and if they'll be displayed at all. Well, we'll just see about that.]             

 OK, on to the Jewelry  Department. Hawaiian jewelry runs the gamut from beautiful natural necklaces to island style gold and silver. For this post I’d like to concentrate on natural jewelry.

Kukui Nut Lei (necklace)

The Kukui lei (layee) on the right is an elegant example of Hawaiiana. Kukui leis,  in very old Hawaii, were worn only by the ali`l (ahlee`ee), or royalty. In modern times they symbolize good luck.

You’ll find these nut leis in a variety of treatments. All the way from ground and polished to completely natural. Here’s an example of a lei with several different styles of the nut. The shells are called Opihi (oh pee hee) and the little seeds are from the Koa tree

The Kukui nut comes from the Kukui tree (duh!), a native tree of Polynesia. The tree was actually brought to the Hawaiian Islands by the early voyages from the south. So jewelry made from the nut is very much steeped in Hawaiian history.

Natural jewelry, especially leis, is not a gender thing in Hawaii. The lei to the left is mine, and I used to wear it to work every day as  a tour guide/bus driver.

Kamani, wiliwili, and goat’s eye are common materials for leis.  Of these, the red seeds from the wiliwili (weelee weelee) are probably the most impressive.  I don’t have a good picture of the finished lei … and didn’t feel right about … er … ahem … borrowing one. When your in Hawaii, and in a quality gift shop, ask about a wilwili lei. Also, standby for sticker shock. 

Ni`ihau Shell Lei

Speaking of sticker shock, the Ni`ihau shell lei is another pricey item, but well worth the money. Why so expensive? Mostly due to shortage of the pinkish shells and the meticulous care taken to create the lei. That, and because they are only made one place in the world … the Island of Ni`ihau in the  Hawaiian chain. The pictue on the right  shows a choker and a 3 strand lei. There are  fake knockoffs, so insist on proof of authenticity.

Newsflash: For some temporary killer deals on Hawaiian jewelry hop on over to

hawaiistore4u.com/Hawaii-Store/Jewelry-and-Watches This is the "now" part I was talking about earlier. OK, OK, it’s my site, but regardless, there’s some real bargains lurking there.

Fun Facts About Hawaii: The capitol of the State of Hawaii is Honolulu on the Island of O`ahu.

Honolulu= Hono looloo

O`ahu= Oh ah hoo

Aloha  a hui hou

Ok, I neglected to leave you News Flash, and Fun Facts About Hawaii on my last post, so we’ll “kiss and make up” with two of each.

News Flash: An event that has been going on in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island for several weeks now, is going to wrap up in late May. It’s called 2008 Kona Earth Festival. But here’s the thing, and this is especially true if you have keikis (kids), one of the major events is called Jack’s Diving Locker Ocean Fair ,and it takes place on Saturday, May 24, 2008.

Second News Flash: Have you read the claims AAA has made about what it costs to vacation in Hawaii for just one day. Get this … according to a AAA survey released Monday [5/5/2008] … it costs two adults an average of $793 a day for food and lodging alone. Here’s my take: COMPLETELY IGNORE THE STATEMENT!

Even the most rudimentary research online (and that’s where you should be making your arrangements) will show the $793 figure as just crappy … did I just type crappy? … bean counting analysis. Having a simply glorious Hawaiian vacation is going to cost you far less than that.

Two Fun Facts About Hawaii:

• The State Bird is called a Nene. It’s a flightless goose slightly smaller, but similar in appearance, than a Canadian goose.

• The State Flower is a Yellow Hibiscus. No, not a Red Hibiscus, a Yellow Hibiscus.

OK, I’m gone.

Aloha a hui hou.