Flower profile
'ohelo 'ai
Vaccinium reticulatum
'ohelo 'ai (Vaccinium reticulatum) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, blooming mostly June–December across the U.S.
'ohelo 'ai is a flowering plant. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in June–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Vaccinium reticulatum, known as ʻōhelo ʻai in Hawaiian, is a species of Hawaiian Vaccinium.
- It belongs to the Ericaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub 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 June–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,569 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #9 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in June–December.
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: 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 'ohelo 'ai 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.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Vaccinium berberidifolium, Vaccinium pahalae, Vaccinium peleanum.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 4 counties across 1 states; the most are in Hawaii (4).
Other Vaccinium on Bloomipedia (10): Sparkleberry, Lingonberry, Lowbush blueberry, Large cranberry, Bog bilberry, Shiny blueberry, Grouse whortleberry, Thinleaf huckleberry, Mayberry, ʻōhelo kau lāʻau.
More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VARE.
- iNaturalist, Vaccinium reticulatum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Vaccinium reticulatum (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, Vaccinium reticulatum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Daryl Nolan via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.