A beautiful red lehua flower, established by Territorial legislature as the Hawaii island flower in 1923, blooms on an ‘ohi’a tree in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
This tree and flower range from small shrubs to tall trees and from rounded leaves to narrow. It grows throughout the islands, particularly well in wetter, higher areas.
In the past, Hawaiians used it for spears, mallets, and more. Today, its hard wood is commonly used for furniture.
You can read about the Hawaiian legend behind the ‘ohi’a and lehua and why it is believed that picking a lehua flower causes rain here.
