Flower profile

'ohelo 'ai

Vaccinium reticulatum

Native to Hawaii

'ohelo 'ai is a flowering plant. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.

1states

2,569HI sightings*

2,569U.S. sightings*

*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.
From Wikipedia's article Vaccinium reticulatum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 January–December. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,569 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #9 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

'ohelo 'ai gift ideas

Handmade 'ohelo 'ai 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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'ohelo 'ai art print
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'ohelo 'ai greeting card
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'ohelo 'ai mug
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'ohelo 'ai earrings
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'ohelo 'ai embroidery pattern
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'ohelo 'ai sticker
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When does it bloom?

In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in January–December.

Flowering records by month in Hawaii (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (59 records)

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 leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 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 'ohelo 'ai in 1 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

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.

More Hawaii flowers

Pūkiawe

Leptecophylla tameiameiae

🌼 Blooms in HI: January–December

ʻōhelo kau lāʻau

Vaccinium calycinum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

ʻōhiʻa lehua

Metrosideros polymorpha

Native

🌼 Blooms in HI: January–December

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.