Flower profile
Indian tulip tree
Thespesia populnea
Indian tulip tree is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Thespesia populnea, commonly known as the portia tree, Pacific rosewood, Indian tulip tree, or milo, among other names, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a tree found commonly on coasts around the world. Although it is confirmed to be native only to the Old World tropics, other authorities consider it to have a wider, possibly pantropical native distribution.
- It belongs to the Malvaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Hawaii. NatureServe
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 30 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 2,398 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #12 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
Indian tulip tree gift ideas
Handmade indian tulip tree 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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Indian tulip tree art print
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Indian tulip tree greeting card
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Indian tulip tree mug
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Indian tulip tree earrings
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Indian tulip tree embroidery pattern
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Indian tulip tree sticker
When does it bloom?
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: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) 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 Indian tulip tree in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Florida, Hawaii.
Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile THPO3.
- iNaturalist, Thespesia populnea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Thespesia populnea (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, Thespesia populnea (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Erik via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.