Flower profile
ʻūlei
Osteomeles anthyllidifolia
ʻūlei (Osteomeles anthyllidifolia) is a shrub in the Rosaceae family.
ʻūlei is a flowering plant.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, commonly called ʻŪlei, eluehe, uʻulei, Hawaiian rose, or Hawaiian hawthorn, is a species of flowering shrub in the rose family, Rosaceae, that is indigenous to Hawaiʻi, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Pitcairn Island, and Rapa Iti, Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
- It belongs to the Rosaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Hawaii. NatureServe
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 12 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 1,072 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #41 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
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
- G4 Apparently 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: 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: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Hawaii. 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.
🌿 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 ʻūlei 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.
Growing conditions
USDA PLANTS gives ʻūlei a medium shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.5 to 7.0 and winter lows down to 35 °F.
- Shade tolerance
- Medium
- Drought tolerance
- Medium
- Moisture use
- Medium
- Soil textures it is adapted to
- coarse, medium, fine
- Soil pH range
- 5.5 to 7.0
- Minimum temperature tolerated
- 35 °F
- Frost-free days needed (minimum)
- 365
- Annual precipitation range
- 35 to 80 inches
- Minimum root depth
- 24 inches
- Salinity tolerance
- None
- Fertility requirement
- Medium
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Lifespan
- Long
- Active growth period
- Year Round
- Fruit or seed
- White · Spring to Summer
- Can be propagated by
- bare root, container, seed
- Commercial availability
- Routinely Available
From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for OSAN. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 4 counties across 1 states; the most are in Hawaii (4).
More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile OSAN.
- iNaturalist, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia (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, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Ben Sims via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.