Family: Malvaceae
ʻAkiohala is medium shrub that can reach 10 feet tall and spreads 6-8 feet. Heart-shaped leaves are 2-6 inches long with a fine sandpaper texture. Flowers range from pink to light purple with deeper colors at the center and base. Flowers bloom year-round, but blooms only last a day. New stems, buds, and leaves are densely pubescent. Stalks are covered in bristled hairs. Their brown seed pods contain many shiny brown seeds. There are six other native Hibiscus species. Besides ʻakiohala, kokiʻo ʻula is the only other native hibiscus that can have pink-ish flowers. To differentiate, ʻakiohala flowers will be drooping and half-opened, which is why they are called sleepy hibiscus in some regions.
Habitat & Uses
ʻAkiohala is indignenous to Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island from sea level and up to 1000 feet elevation. Since this species is indigenous, Hibiscus furcellatus can also be found in wet forests, swampy disturbed areas, and marshy sites near sea level in the West Indies, Florida, and both Central and South America. In Hawaiʻi, you would also find these plants in lowland wet and marshy areas, but they do not require wet conditions to flourish.
ʻAkiohala was cultivated by early Hawaiians for medicinal purposes. Traditionally, flower buds were chewed by mothers and given to children as laxatives. Children were also known to chew and swallow seeds for general body weakness. Flowers could also be turned into dye and bark woven for cordage. Their beautiful blooms attract both humans and pollinators alike. Black carpenter bees love to visit the flowers of ʻakiohala and when they leave the blossom their bodies are magically purple from the flower’s pollen.
Landscaping & Cultivation
ʻAkiohala is a versatile landscaping plant. You can put in a container, grow it as a hedge for more privacy, or make it a focal point as a specimen plant. ʻAkiohala can survive in waterlogged soil, which means it can also be grown along water features. These plants prefer full sun, organic soil, and moist conditions to encourage dense foliage and profuse blooms. Once established, you can prune spent seed heads for a more attractive shrub appearance. Please use thick gloves when handling due to the prickly spiny hairs present.
This species is an easy plant to care for as they require little watering once established. ʻAkiohala foliage will benefit from fertilizers using a 2-1-3 or 2-0.5-3 ratio with minor elements (e.g., magnesium and iron). This plant will usually need routine management for sucking insects and Chinese rose beetles. You can manage with either systemic pesticide spray or by placing the plant near a light source (e.g., porch or garden light). Additionally, you can propagate this species from seeds, plant cuttings, and air layering.
Name Origins
The ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi ʻakiohala refers to its utility. ʻAki can mean to nibble and to heal stomach pain. Its other common name hau hele wai literally means “traveling hau in freshwater” due to ʻakiohala’s affinity for swampy habitat and its physical similarities with the hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus) plant. Hau hele wai has a similar resemblance and name structure as its dry-adapted counterparts maʻo hau hele and hau hele ʻula. Its scientific name, Hibisicus is Greek for mallow and furcellatus is Latin referring to having a small forked notch at the apex.
Plant Uses:
- Container plant
- Cultural significance
- Hedge
- Medicinal
- Ornamental
- Privacy / screening
- Specimen
Plant Dangers:
- Thorns or spines
