Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Wednesday - January 04, 2006
From: Honolulu, HI
Region: Hawaii
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: State flower of Hawaii
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
What color is the state flower of Hawaii?ANSWER:
Yellow. In 1988 the Hawaii state legislature adopted the yellow-flowered Hawaiian native, Ma'o hau hele (Hibiscus brackenridgei) as its official state flower. Between 1922 and 1988 the entire Hibiscus genus - regardless of species, color and native and non-native alike -- was considered the Hawaiian state flower.
Hawaii's state tree, the Kukui tree (Aleurites moluccana) is the only non-native state tree in America. It is native to Malaysia and western Polynesia. Nevertheless, it is much-used and much-loved by the Hawaiian people.
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