Native Plants for Hawaii - What to Plant, and When

Hawaii is the most isolated island chain on earth, and nearly nine in ten of its native flowering plants grow nowhere else. The native vegetation stacks up by elevation and rainfall. The shoreline is a strip of naupaka kahakai, ʻilima and pōhinahina on sand and rock. Leeward lowlands hold dry forest of wiliwili, naio and hala. Wetter slopes are koa and ʻōhiʻa lehua forest with kupukupu and other ferns beneath, and the cool high slopes are māmane scrub. One island can run from desert to rainforest in a few miles, so the right native depends on which side of the mountain you garden on. Most gardens sit in zones 11 and 12 near the coast and cool to zone 10 high on the mountains, and frost matters only at the highest elevations.

Match the plant to your side of the island first. Dry coastal and leeward sites suit ʻilima, naupaka kahakai, pōhinahina and wiliwili; wet windward and upland sites suit ʻōhiʻa lehua, koa, kupukupu and kōkiʻo keʻokeʻo. Natives can go in nearly year-round here, but they establish best at the start of the wetter season, which on most islands is winter, so rain does the watering. Buy from licensed local nurseries and do not move plants, soil or wood between islands. ʻŌhiʻa lehua in particular is under threat from Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, so keep young trees free of cuts and clean your tools. Hawaii has no frost to anchor a calendar to, so the bloom windows on this page are approximate; pick your zone above and treat them as a guide.

Common questions

What plants are native to Hawaii?

Beach Strawberry, Hala, ʻĀkia, ʻIlima, ʻŌhiʻa Lehua, ʻUkiʻuki, Koa, Kōkiʻo Keʻokeʻo, and 8 more are native to Hawaii. Every one links to its own growing page.

When should I plant natives in Hawaii?

Timing depends on your hardiness zone. Each plant on this page shows its sowing and bloom window relative to your zone's last spring and first fall frost, so the dates stay correct wherever in Hawaii you garden. As a rule, plant perennials and shrubs in early fall, at least six weeks before the first frost, or in spring once the soil drains.

What hardiness zones does Hawaii cover?

Hawaii runs from zone 10a to 13a. Pick your zone at the top of the page and the list re-sorts for it.