Flower profile
Kanawao
Hydrangea arguta
Kanawao is a flowering plant. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in February–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Broussaisia arguta, the kanawao, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the Hydrangea family, Hydrangeaceae, that is endemic to Hawaiʻi. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Broussaisia.
- It belongs to the Hydrangeaceae family. iNaturalist
- In Hawaii, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 687 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #70 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
Kanawao gift ideas
Handmade kanawao 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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Kanawao art print
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Kanawao greeting card
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Kanawao mug
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Kanawao earrings
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Kanawao embroidery pattern
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Kanawao sticker
When does it bloom?
In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in February–December.
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
- 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. HAR 13-107
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)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Hydrangea arborescens (“Hills of Snow”), as 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.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
- iNaturalist, Hydrangea arguta: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Broussaisia (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.
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Kevin Faccenda via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.