About Exotic Flowers of Hawaii

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By Angela England
eHow Contributing Writer

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Hawaiian plants are lush and tropical looking with broad foliage, bright flowers and unusual forms. Even though several species are endangered, plant lovers can still grow exotic flowers in their homes and gardens.

Identification

While Hawaii is home to many plants and trees today, not all of these are considered native, or endemic. Some trees and flowers found on the islands of Hawaii are non-endemic, or non-native and have been brought into the area from other states and countries. Scientists believe that many flowers arrived on the islands from seeds carried by bird dropping, settlers bringing them in from other areas. Now gardeners whose plants escape their home landscapes survive in wild areas of Hawaii.

Significance

Yellow Hibiscus is an Exotic Looking Hawaiian Plant
One of the most significant flowers in Hawaii is the yellow hibiscus. These large, golden blooms are Hawaii's official state flower and the shrubs are found wild throughout the islands.
Another well-known Hawaiian flower is the Plumeria plant. Plumerias have large, fragrant flowers in bright colors such as pink, yellow and white. The Plumeria flowers are often used to create leis for Hawaiian ceremonies.

Benefits

Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera) is a salt and drought tolerant plant.
Some native Hawaiian flowers grow in the dry and coastal regions making them suitable for xeriscapes and water-wise landscapes. These drought tolerant plants include; Akia (Wikstroemia uva-ursi); Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera); Beach naupaka (Scaevola sericea) and many hibiscus varieties.

Features

Hawaii is known for Pineapple Plants
Other Hawaiian flowers like orchids, gingers and pineapples take more water and humid conditions. All these plants will generally tolerate shade conditions making them good plants to feature indoors as houseplants. Provide them with enough water to meet their individual needs if you want to enjoy these Hawaiian tropical flowers in your home.

Considerations

When selecting native Hawaiian plants to add to your garden be sure you purchase cultivated, not wild harvested plants. Many Hawaiian shrubs, flowers and trees are endangered so collecting them from the wild can impact the ecological system in a negative fashion. In fact, Hawaiian plants make up nearly half of all the endangered plants in the United States.