Bloomipedia
Kūpaoa (Dubautia menziesii)
Photo: My-Lan Le via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Kūpaoa

Dubautia menziesii

Native to Hawaii

Kūpaoa is a flowering plant.

1states
935HI sightings*
935U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Hawaii

Quick look

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Hawaii. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 935 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #48 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist

Kūpaoa gift ideas

Handmade kūpaoa gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (12 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 Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G2 Imperiled 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: S2, imperiled 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.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S2 in Hawaii. NatureServe

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 kūpaoa 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: Maui.

More Hawaii flowers

Sources