8 Flowers and Lei You’ll See at the Merrie Monarch Festival
These flowers—some native to the Islands—have special meaning in Hawaiian culture.
While hula is the main attraction at the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, the gorgeous flowers used in lei and other adornment are show-shoppers, too. Many of these flowers are native to the Islands and have cultural significance to Native Hawaiians.
Here are some flowers you might see on stage this year.
Lokelani
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The official flower of Maui is the lokelani, also known as the damask rose (Rosa damascena). This rose hybrid is native to Asia Minor and introduced to the Islands in the early 1800s. The flowers are renowned for their fragrance and commercially harvested for rose oil, used in perfumes and to make rose water. You might see this flower prominently at this year’s Merrie Monarch Festival, as hālau honor Maui after the devastating wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and killed 101 people.
Pua Kenikeni
Pua kenikeni.
Photo: Getty Images/Jan Arakawa
While not native to Hawaiʻi, pua kenikeni is a popular flower in the Islands, beloved for its sweet fragrance. The small tree (Fagraea berteriana) is from the South Pacific region and arrived in Hawaiʻi in the late 1800s. It’s called pua kenikeni (10 cents flower) because the flowers were so highly prized that they sold for 10 cents eachwhich was a lot at the time.
ʻŌhiʻa Lehua
ʻŌhiʻa lehua.
Photo: Courtesy of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority/Heather Goodman
A member of the Myrtaceae family, ‘ōhi‘a lehua is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawai’i and is the most common native Hawaiian tree, comprising 80% of Hawaii’s native forests. The slow-growing tree is rooted in Hawaiian legends; it’s believed that if you pick a lehua blossom, it will rain. Right now, the ʻōhiʻa is threathened by a fungus known as the Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, which is killing this native tree. Hālau have long avoided using ʻōhiʻa in lei to avoid the spread—but it may be a topic of discussion at the festival.
Pakalana
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This seasonal flower—Chinese violet (Telosma cordata)—has tiny, yellow-green blossoms and a beautiful citrus-y fragrance. Since it’s not available year-round, it’s most often used for special events, such as the Merrie Monarch Festival. It usually blooms from April through September.
Pua Kalaunu
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The crown flower (Calotropis gigantea) is a large shrub native to India and the East Indies. It belongs to the milkweed family. The crown-shaped flowers can be white or lavender and commonly used for lei. It was also one of Queen Liliʻuokalani’s favorite flowers.
Pīkake
Pīkake.
Photo: Getty Images/Elmar Langle
The Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) was introduced to Hawaiʻi from India. The Hawaiian name for the flower, pīkake, translates to “peacock.” It was favored by Princess Kaʻiulani, who named the flower after her favorite bird. The flower is incredibly fragrant and the buds are typically woven together to create strands of lei that are worn by brides and hula dancers.
ʻIlima
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The pua ʻilima (all species of Sida, especially S. fallax) is the official flower of the island of Oʻahu. The small to large native shrubs produce yellow, orange, greenish or dull-red flower, some of which are used in lei. The flowers only last a day and are so delicate, you need about 500 to a single lei.
Maile
Maile lei.
Photo: Courtesy of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority/Tor Johnson
While not a flower, maile lei are a common lei—and smell—at the Merrie Monarch Festival. Maile (Alyxia olivaeformis) is a native twining shrub with a sweet scent. It’s one of the oldest and most popular lei material used in ancient Hawaiʻi, commonly worn to honor the gods of hula. The old-ended lei is most often worn by men.
