Flower profile

Pua kala

Argemone glauca

Pua kala (Argemone glauca) is a flowering plant in the Papaveraceae family.

Native to Hawaii

Pua kala is a wildflower.

1states where USDA records it

612HI sightings*

612U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Hawaii

Quick look

Argemone glauca, the Hawaiian poppy or pua kala, is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae, native to Hawaii. A perennial, it is found in dry situations, including disturbed areas, from sea level up to 6,200 ft (1,900 m) on all of the main islands.
From Wikipedia's article Argemone glauca, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Papaveraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Hawaii. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 612 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #85 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”) (37 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: G2 Imperiled 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: S2, imperiled 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 S2 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 pua kala in 1 states.

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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

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

Other Argemone on Bloomipedia (3): Thistle poppy, Flatbud prickly poppy, Southwestern prickly poppy.

More from the Papaveraceae family (16 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Bloodroot, California poppy, Dutchman's breeches, Greater celandine, Pacific bleeding heart, Celandine poppy, Bush poppy, Squirrel corn.

More Hawaii flowers

ʻōhiʻa lehua

Metrosideros polymorpha

Native

🌼 Blooms in HI: May–June

Beach naupaka

Scaevola taccada

Native

🌼 Blooms in HI: May–December

Pūkiawe

Leptecophylla tameiameiae

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ARGL10.
iNaturalist, Argemone glauca: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Argemone glauca (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, Argemone glauca (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Timothy A. Parsons via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.