Flower profile
ʻōhiʻa lehua
Metrosideros polymorpha
ʻōhiʻa lehua is a flowering plant. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Metrosideros polymorpha, the ʻōhiʻa lehua, is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaiʻi. It is a member of the diverse Metrosideros genus, which are widespread over the southwest Pacific. It is the state tree of Hawaiʻi.
- It belongs to the Myrtaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Hawaii. NatureServe
- In Hawaii, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as red. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 65 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 9,729 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #1 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
ʻōhiʻa lehua gift ideas
Handmade ʻōhiʻa lehua gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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ʻōhiʻa lehua art print
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ʻōhiʻa lehua greeting card
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ʻōhiʻa lehua mug
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ʻōhiʻa lehua earrings
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ʻōhiʻa lehua embroidery pattern
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ʻōhiʻa lehua sticker
When does it bloom?
In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in January–December.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Hawaii
- Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: S5, secure in Hawaii. HAR 13-107
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 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 records ʻōhiʻa lehua in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Hawaii.
Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MEPO5.
- iNaturalist, Metrosideros polymorpha: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Metrosideros polymorpha (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- 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.
- NatureServe Explorer, Metrosideros polymorpha (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Kevin Faccenda via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.