Flower profile
Pua kala
Argemone glauca
Pua kala is a wildflower. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in February–December.
*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.
- 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
- In Hawaii, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 612 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #85 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
Pua kala gift ideas
Handmade pua kala 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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Pua kala art print
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Pua kala greeting card
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Pua kala mug
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Pua kala earrings
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Pua kala embroidery pattern
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Pua kala sticker
When does it bloom?
In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in February–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
- 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 don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S2 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 pua kala 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.
More Hawaii flowers
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.