Flower profile
Shoebutton ardisia
Ardisia elliptica
Shoebutton ardisia is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Ardisia elliptica is an evergreen tree, also known as the shoebutton ardisia, duck's eye and coralberry, native to the west coast of India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia and New Guinea. It is a prolific reproducer which has made it a successful invasive species in other locations in the tropics where it has been introduced as a garden ornamental.
- It belongs to the Primulaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Hawaii. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 1,345 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #29 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
State flower gift ideas
This one is a regulated invasive plant, so here are state flower gifts instead.
🌱 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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State flower print
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Birth-flower necklace
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Wildflower seed favors
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Botanical tea towel
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Pressed-flower frame
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Flower-garden mug
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked 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: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) 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.
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 shoebutton ardisia in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Florida, Hawaii.
Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile AREL4.
- iNaturalist, Ardisia elliptica: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Ardisia elliptica (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, Ardisia elliptica (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Scott Loarie via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.