We’ll be adding lei flowers here as a quick reference. If you have any photos of lei flowers you would like identified, you can post them on our FaceBook page, and we will research them for you!
Lei can be made from virtually any blossom or foliage. Here is a listing of those more commonly used in lei making.
Many of the plants have traditional symbolism which imbues the lei or ornamentation with kaona, or hidden meaning. The practice is not confined to Hawaiʻi. In the English-speaking world, this custom reached its height in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
Lau Kukui [LAH-ooh koo-KOO-ee] Aleurites moluccana, candle nut. Polynesian introduction. The leaf of the kukui tree is made into lei, usually using the nīpuʻu technique. The nut kernels were burned for light, and so the tree is a symbol of enlightenment. They also were chewed by fishermen, and spat onto the sea to smooth ripples so that the fish could be seen more easily, adding to the symbolism of enlightenment and clarity of perception. The kernels also are cooked to make ʻinamona, a relish. The tree is used in dye making, and the sap has medicinal properties. The flowers may be included in lei lau kukui, and the nuts are often polished to make lei. on Niʻihau and parts of Kauai, the tree is called kuikui.
Lokelani [LOH-kay LAH-nee] Rosa chinensis, Maui pink rose. Introduced. This old fashioned climbing Rosa chinensis was introduced to the islands by the Missionary wives from New England. A generation ago, it was abundant on the fences of Lāhaina Town.
New England lore had it that the sharp thorns and tangled branches would keep spirits from escaping the graveyard – this manaʻo contributed by a respected kupuna of New England whose family has been there since the American Revolution.
When pruned regularly, the bright pink blooms are abundant and fill the air with fragrance. Blooms are about 2-3″ in diameter. To make a lei, pick early in the morning, selecting those just beginning to open.
Lokelau [LOH-kay LAU-ooh] Rosa chinensis, green rose. Introduced.
Nani o ʻŌlaʻa / Ka Uʻi o ʻŌlaʻa Introduced.
Pīkake [pii-KAH-kay] Jasminum sambac, Arabian jasmine.
Pua Tuberose [POO-ah too-bey-ROH-say] Polianthes tuberosa, Tuberose flower, fragrant white tube-shaped flower. Frequently used in lei kui. Single and double varieties. Introduced. Image: Wikipedia.
ʻAwapuhi Pākē [ah-vah-POOH-hee Pah-KAY] Hedychium coronarium, White ginger. Introduced. Image: Wikipedia.
ʻ Umiʻ umi-o-Dole [OOH-mee OOH-mee oh DOH-leh] (Dole’s Beard), Tillandsia usneoides, Itla-okla, Spanish moss, hinahina [hee-nah HEE-nah]. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries some people began calling ʻ Umiʻ umi-o-Dole “Pele’s hair” in order to sell more. Some even went to far as to claim that it is a Hawaiian plant and a traditional offering to Pele. It is not. It was introduced to Hawaiʻ i in the 19th Century and soon became known as ʻ Umiʻ umi-o-Dole because of its resemblance to the beard of Sanford B. Dole. Because it is easy to wili ʻ umiʻ umi-o-Dole became a popular lei material. Due it its silvery grey color, when hinahina, the native beach heliotrope became more difficult to access due to shoreline development ʻ umiʻ umi-o-Dole came into use as a substitute. Real hinahina is a heliotrope, not a bromiliad.
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