When you step onto the trails of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or wander through the cool rainforest surrounding Volcano Village, you’re walking through one of the most unique botanical environments on Earth. The Hawaiian flowers blooming here tell stories of adaptation, survival, and beauty emerging from volcanic soil. Whether you are hiking the park trails or simply walking the grounds around your cottage, understanding what you’re seeing transforms a simple hike into a journey through living history.
At our Big Island bed and breakfast, we’re surrounded by these botanical treasures every day. The rainforest that envelops our property showcases the remarkable diversity of Hawaiian flowers, from the iconic ʻōhiʻa lehua to delicate native ferns. This guide covers some of the most recognizable Hawaiian flowers you are likely to come across during a stay near the park, along with where to find them and what makes each one special.
Native Hawaiian Flowers in and Around the Park
© Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Ben Ono
ʻŌhiʻa Lehua
The most iconic of all the flowers you’ll see during a visit to Volcano is the ʻōhiʻa lehua. This resilient native tree, with its distinctive red pompom blossoms, is the first plant to colonize barren lava flows after an eruption. Walking through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you’ll see ʻōhiʻa trees of all sizes, from tiny seedlings pushing through cracks in centuries-old lava to massive specimens towering overhead in the rainforest.
The lehua blossom itself is actually a cluster of stamens that create that signature fluffy appearance. While red is the most common color, you might also spot yellow, orange, or even white lehua blossoms. Each tree produces thousands of flowers, providing crucial nectar for native Hawaiian birds like the ʻapapane and ʻiʻiwi.
Hawaiian legend connects the ʻōhiʻa lehua directly to the volcano goddess Pele. The story tells of a handsome warrior named ʻŌhiʻa who rejected Pele’s advances because he loved another woman, Lehua. In fury, Pele transformed ʻŌhiʻa into a twisted tree. The other gods, taking pity on the heartbroken Lehua, transformed her into the beautiful blossom on the ʻōhiʻa tree so the lovers would be forever united. Many believe that picking a lehua blossom will cause rain, the tears of separated lovers.
Today, the ʻōhiʻa faces a serious threat from Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, a fungal disease that has killed hundreds of thousands of trees across the island. When hiking, please clean your shoes before and after trails to avoid spreading the disease. Never remove ʻōhiʻa wood, leaves, or flowers from the park.
Naupaka
One of the most unusual Hawaiian flowers you’ll encounter is naupaka, which looks like nature forgot to finish it. Each white blossom appears to be missing half its petals, creating a semicircular shape that’s instantly recognizable once you know what you’re looking for.
Hawaiian legend explains this peculiar appearance through a tragic love story. A beautiful princess named Naupaka fell in love with a commoner, a relationship forbidden by her royal status. Seeking guidance, they traveled to a distant heiau (temple) where a priest told them there was nothing he could do to unite them. Heartbroken, Naupaka removed the flower from her hair, tore it in half, gave one half to her lover, and sent him to live by the ocean while she remained in the mountains. This is why there are two varieties of naupaka: the delicate mountain naupaka (naupaka kuahiwi) with its subtle fragrance, and the hardier beach naupaka (naupaka kahakai) with thicker leaves adapted to salt spray.
In Volcano, you’ll primarily encounter mountain naupaka, which thrives in the cool, misty conditions. The flowers are small, fragrant, and grow on shrubs that can reach six feet tall. Birds love the white berries that follow the flowers, making naupaka an important part of the forest ecosystem.
ʻŌhelo
ʻŌhelo is a small native shrub that you’ll often spot along trails in higher elevation areas of the park. Its delicate, bell-shaped flowers are easy to overlook, but the bright red or yellow berries that follow are much more noticeable.
These berries are deeply connected to Pele. Traditionally, it was considered disrespectful to eat ʻōhelo berries without first offering some to her, usually by tossing a few toward the crater. While the berries are edible and tart (similar to cranberries), visitors today should remember that all plant life in the park is protected and should not be picked.
Beyond its cultural significance, ʻōhelo plays an important ecological role, helping stabilize young volcanic soils and providing food for native birds.
Pūkiawe
At first glance, you might miss pūkiawe entirely. This low-growing native shrub produces tiny bell-shaped flowers in white, pink, or red that are often smaller than a grain of rice. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in toughness. Pūkiawe can grow anywhere from sea level to 12,000 feet elevation, making it one of the most adaptable native Hawaiian plants.
The small flowers give way to colorful berries in white, pink, red, or even black, often present on the same plant simultaneously. These berries were traditionally used in lei making, though they were never eaten due to their toxic properties. The wood was prized for making tools and weapons.
In Hawaiian culture, pūkiawe is sacred to Pele and was often placed on altars as offerings. Today, you’ll see it incorporated into modern hula traditions and cultural ceremonies.
ʻAʻaliʻi
ʻAʻaliʻi is another native plant you’re likely to see across a range of environments in and around the park. It grows as both a shrub and a small tree and is especially known for its colorful seed capsules, which range from red to deep purple and stand out against the surrounding greenery.
The flowers themselves are small and not particularly showy, but the plant’s durability is what makes it notable. ʻAʻaliʻi can withstand harsh conditions, including drought and fire, and is often one of the first plants to return after a disturbance.
© Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Ben Ono
Hawaiian Hibiscus
Hawaiʻi’s state flower is the yellow hibiscus (Hibiscus brackenridgei), a native species that is relatively rare in the wild. More often, you’ll see cultivated hibiscus varieties, including yellow blooms with red centers, in gardens and landscaped areas across the island.
Introduced Flowers That Have Become Part of the Landscape
Not every flower you see in Hawaii is a native species. Many were introduced by Polynesian settlers or arrived in the centuries that followed, and some have become as closely associated with the islands as the native plants.
Plumeria
Plumeria is not native to Hawaii but it is one of the flowers most people associate with the islands. The star-shaped blooms come in white, yellow, pink, and red, and the fragrance is strong and easy to recognize. You’ll find plumeria trees in gardens around the island, particularly at lower, warmer elevations, though they do appear occasionally in cultivated spaces around Volcano Village. The flowers are widely used in leis and are a common sight at any local event or celebration.
Anthurium
Anthuriums are grown extensively on the Big Island and are a familiar sight at farmers’ markets and flower shops. The glossy heart-shaped blooms come in red, pink, and white. Originally from South America, the anthurium has been cultivated in Hawaii for decades and is one of the state’s main floral exports. They are often given as welcome gifts and are considered a symbol of hospitality.
Orchids
Both native and imported orchids are found throughout the Big Island, from botanical gardens to roadside nurseries. The Volcano area is home to Akatsuka Orchid Gardens, a family-owned nursery on Volcano Road that has been growing orchids since 1974. They specialize in Cattleya hybrids and their own signature Volcano Queen variety. The nursery is open for visitors on select days each week and ships plants to all 50 states. It is a good stop to add onto a park visit, and the scale of orchid cultivation there is worth seeing in person.
Where to See Hawaiian Flowers Near Volcano Village
The best place to experience native Hawaiian flowers is along the trails inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Routes like Kīlauea Iki Trail and sections of Crater Rim Drive pass through rainforest and volcanic terrain where many of these plants naturally thrive. You’ll move through changing environments, from dense ʻōhiʻa forest to open lava fields where new growth is just beginning.
Closer to home, a simple walk down Hale Ohia Road, lined with mature trees and native plants, is a good option for a relaxed morning walk. The grounds around the property itself include native plantings, and guests often spot lehua blooms and naupaka without leaving the estate.
For a more dedicated plant experience, the Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Gardens near Hilo is worth the drive. It covers 40 acres along the Hamakua coast with more than 2,000 tropical plant species and runs down a valley to a stream, so you move through different growing conditions as you walk.
A Few Things to Know Before You Go
Flowers bloom year-round in the Volcano area thanks to the steady rainfall and mild temperatures, but certain plants, like ʻōhiʻa lehua, tend to be especially vibrant in late spring and summer.
The cooler climate at this elevation means the plant life here is very different from what you’ll find along the coast. It’s part of what makes this area so interesting to explore slowly.
If you’re curious about what you’re seeing, apps like iNaturalist can be helpful for identifying plants along the trail. And as always, remember that everything in the national park is protected, so look, photograph, and enjoy, but leave everything as you found it.
Plan Your Visit and See Hawaiian Flowers in Person
It’s easy to focus on the bigger sights, the crater, the lava fields, the sweeping views, but the smaller details are just as memorable. The flowers you pass along the trail tell the story of how life returns, adapts, and thrives in a constantly changing landscape.
During your stay, you don’t have to go far to notice them. Step outside in the morning, take a walk without a destination, and you’ll start to recognize the same plants you saw in the park, right here in the rainforest around you.
Ready to experience it for yourself? Plan your stay at Volcano Village Estates and spend time exploring the Hawaiian flowers that make this part of the island so unique.