Flower profile
Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o
Hibiscus arnottianus
Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o is a flowering plant. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in January–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Hibiscus arnottianus is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae. It is a shrub or small tree native to the islands of Oahu and Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands, where it grows in tropical rainforest.
- It belongs to the Malvaceae 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–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 539 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #90 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o gift ideas
Handmade koki‘o ke‘oke‘o 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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Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o art print
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Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o greeting card
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Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o mug
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Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o earrings
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Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o embroidery pattern
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Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o sticker
When does it bloom?
In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in January–October.
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
- Variety listed Only Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. immaculatus is on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (state endangered). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable 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 don't pick or dig this flower: Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. immaculatus is on Hawaii's rare plant list (state endangered); NatureServe ranks it S3 in Hawaii. HAR 13-107 NatureServe
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. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Hibiscus syriacus (“Hibiscus”), as non-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 records koki‘o ke‘oke‘o 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: Honolulu.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HIAR.
- iNaturalist, Hibiscus arnottianus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Hibiscus arnottianus (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, Hibiscus arnottianus (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Brynn Fricke via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.