Family: Malvaceae

An endemic shrub to a small tree and vary in appearance. Leaves are oval, smooth, and may or may not have slightly serrated margins. Kokiʻo kea will have red veins and stems on the leaves. Flowers are pinwheel shaped, located at the stem tips, and remain slightly fragrant. The staminal column ranges from pink to red. This species looks very similar to kokiʻo keʻokeʻo, a Kauaʻi endemic. Compared to kokiʻo kea, the Kauaʻi kokiʻo is more fragrant, has rough feeling leaves, and gray leaf undersides.

Habitat & Uses

Kokiʻo kea is endemic to Oʻahu. This species is one of only two species of hibiscus in the world that is fragrant. This is the mother or grandmother of many hibiscus hybrids, and there are varieties and sub-species found in the wild on Oʻahu and Molokaʻi in wet to mesic forests. Because of its handsome growth habit and showy flowers, kokiʻo kea is a beautiful plant in the landscape.

This plant was so beautiful that early Hawaiians grew near their houses. Flower buds were used in traditional medicine for treatment of ʻea (infectious diseases) and pāʻaoʻao (latent childhood disease). Leaves were used as laxatives and flower buds were combined with other lāʻau lapaʻau or medicinal plants for blood purification. There are also references to kokiʻo kea being used for cordage fiber.

Landscaping & Cultivation

Kokiʻo kea is a great first native plant to add to your yard! It is hardy – drought tolerant, thrives in full sun, and does well in moist environments as well. They are prone to sucking insects, Chinese rose beetle damage, and the fungal leaf spot disease. Pruning will encourage dense hedges and shrubs, but do not prune too much at one time or too frequently.  Applying 2-1-3 or 2-0.5-3 ratio fertilizers with minor elements will maintain green foliage.

Kokiʻo kea is easy to propagate as well from cuttings, seeds, grafting, and air layering. For vegetative propagation, you can take a 4-6 inch tip or stem cutting, place in perlite pots and irrigate until roots develop. After that you can put individual plants in pots of peat moss, perlite, and fertilizer.

Name Origins

The ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi kokiʻo keʻokeʻo literally translates to white kokiʻo, where kokiʻo is another common name for hibiscus-like plants. The root word kiʻo can mean to excrete or evacuate. That could be a reference to the use of kokiʻo kea medicinally to rid the body of disease, excrement, and impurities. The scientific name Hibiscus is Greek for mallow and the species name is on behalf of George Walker Arnott, a Scottish botanist.

Plant Uses:

• Container plant
• Fragrant
• Hedge
• Medicinal
• Ornamental
• Privacy / screening
• Specimen

Plant Dangers:

• No dangers