Flower profile

Brackenridge's rosemallow

Hibiscus brackenridgei

Brackenridge's rosemallow (Hibiscus brackenridgei) is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae family.

★ Official state flower of Hawaii (1988)

Brackenridge's rosemallow is a flowering plant.

–states where USDA records it

108HI sightings*

108U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Hawaii

🏅

Hawaii's official state flower since 1988. Visit the Hawaii page → ^{Haw. Rev. Stat. § 5-7} Hawaii's native yellow hibiscus is federally endangered and rare in the wild.

Quick look

It belongs to the Malvaceae family. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 108 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #102 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (7 records)

There are only a handful of Hawaii flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe: Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. ^NatureServe
Hawaii: Variety listed Only Hibiscus brackenridgei ssp. brackenridgei is on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (state endangered). ^{HAR 13-107}

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: Hibiscus brackenridgei ssp. brackenridgei is on Hawaii's rare plant list (state endangered). ^{HAR 13-107}

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Hibiscus syriacus (“Hibiscus”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

Names, range and relatives

Other Hibiscus on Bloomipedia (7): Common hibiscus, Swamp rose mallow, Flower-of-an-hour, Sea hibiscus, Woolly rosemallow, Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o, Tropical hibiscus.

More from the Malvaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Turk's cap, Velvetleaf, Dwarf mallow, Apricot globemallow, Checkerbloom, Scarlet globemallow, Bristly mallow, Winecup mallow.

More Hawaii flowers

Yellow ʻilima

Sida fallax

Native

🌼 Blooms in HI: January–December

Indian tulip tree

Thespesia populnea

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Sea hibiscus

Hibiscus tiliaceus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in HI: June–December

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Hibiscus brackenridgei: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 5-7: Hawaii state flower.
Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Lexi Amico via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.