Flower profile

Pūkiawe

Leptecophylla tameiameiae

Pūkiawe (Leptecophylla tameiameiae) is a shrub or small tree in the Ericaceae family.

Pūkiawe is a flowering plant.

1states where USDA records it

4,188HI sightings*

4,188U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Hawaii

Quick look

Leptecophylla tameiameiae, known as pūkiawe or maiele in the Hawaiian language, is a species of flowering plant that is native to the Hawaiian and Marquesas Islands. The specific epithet honors King Kamehameha I, who formed the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. It grows as a tree up to 4.6 m (15 ft) tall in forests and as a shrub 0.9–3 m (3.0–9.8 ft) in height elsewhere.
From Wikipedia's article Leptecophylla tameiameiae, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ericaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 4,188 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #3 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Hawaii (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (36 records)

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?

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 pūkiawe 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.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Styphelia douglasii.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 4 counties across 1 states; the most are in Hawaii (4).

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

'ohelo 'ai

Vaccinium reticulatum

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🌼 Blooms in HI: June–December

ʻōhelo kau lāʻau

Vaccinium calycinum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Satsuki azalea

Rhododendron indicum

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Hawaii gardens

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile STTA.
iNaturalist, Leptecophylla tameiameiae: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Leptecophylla tameiameiae (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: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Jim Morefield via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.