Bloomipedia
Kōlea lau nui (Myrsine lessertiana)
Photo: Steve Wells via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Kōlea lau nui

Myrsine lessertiana

Native to Hawaii

Kōlea lau nui is a flowering plant.

1states
795HI sightings*
795U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Hawaii

Quick look

Myrsine lessertiana, the kōlea lau nui, is a species of colicwood endemic to the U.S. state of Hawaii in the family Primulaceae. It inhabits Hawaiian tropical dry, coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of 210–1,220 m (690–4,000 ft) on the main Hawaiian islands. M. lessertiana is a small to medium-sized tree, reaching a height of 18 m (59 ft) with a trunk diameter of 0.3–0.6 m (0.98–1.97 ft).

  • It belongs to the Primulaceae 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
  • iNaturalist has 795 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #56 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist

Kōlea lau nui gift ideas

Handmade kōlea lau nui gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (9 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 global
G3 Vulnerable 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: SNR, not yet ranked 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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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 kōlea lau nui 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

Coralberry (Ardisia crenata)

Coralberry

Ardisia crenata

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in HI
Shoebutton ardisia (Ardisia elliptica)

Shoebutton ardisia

Ardisia elliptica

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in HI
ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha)

ʻōhiʻa lehua

Metrosideros polymorpha

Native

🌼 Blooms in HI: January–December

Sources