Mokihana (Melicope anisata)

The famous mokihana berry.

 Every island in the state of Hawai'i has their own state flower or lei material. On the island of Kaua'i, their state lei material is the Mokihana. This ornamental plant represents the island of Kaua'i and has an interesting scent. In the old Hawaiian days, Hawaiian women and men wore the berries as a lei and the twigs and berries were placed between folds of tapa cloth for scent. Now, this berry is commonly used for lei making.

Picture taken from: www.statesymbolsusa.org

Blue Trumpet Vine (Thunbergia grandiflora)

This flower has a nice blue and yellow contrast.

This ornamental plant is vine-like but grows like a weed in the sense that it covers trees and shrubs.  It is very pleasing to eyes if maintained properly. Some find this plant to be an annoyance and others like that it can cascade down fences as decoration. It is an easy plant to maintain if used as an ornamental plant which makes it a great houseplant.

Picture taken from: www.wildlifeofhawaii.com

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

The nasturtium is distinct because of it's large round leaves.

 This interesting ornamental plant can come in a variety of colors such as orange, yellow, red, cream, or pink. Not only is it an ornamental plant, but it is also an edible plant as well. The flowers and young leaves can be eaten and used in salads. The flavor is unique and tastes hot, peppery, and watercress-like. The seeds of this plant can also be dried and used as a pepper substitute if ground. With so many uses it's no wonder why this is a great ornamental plant to own!

Picture taken from: www.wildlifehawaii.com

Telegraphweed (Heterotheca grandiflora)

Some weeds like this one actually produce cute flowers.

Some weeds are just too cute to cut! That is the case for this telegraphweed. The flowers it produces are bright and yellow which can add a nice pop of color to any garden or roadside. This happens to be the only Heterotheca species found in Hawai'i so it is quite special. Although this plant is nice in appearance, it is known for being stink! Touching these plants can leave an unpleasant smell on your hands. That may be the biggest reason for this weeds prolonged life. 

Picture taken from: www.wildlifeofhawaii.com

Liliko'i (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa)

The liliko'i fruit perfect to make juices.

This short-lived plant is not only an ornamental, but it is most famously a food plant. This plant grows great in Hawai'i because it loves sunny locations. The fruit that is known for being in juices is large, tart, and yellow in color. This plant is helpful because it is used by humans as well as Gulf Fritillary butterflies. Their larvae feed on the fruit. Humans eat the tart, flavorful pulp or the pulp can be strained and made into a juice or syrup. The juice or syrup can be used to flavor deserts or used as syrup for pancakes. It is also used as a flavor for our locally popular shave ice.

Picture taken from: www.wildlifeofhawaii.com

Hunakai (Ipomoea imperati)

A simple white flower found near many beaches.

The Hunakai is a very strong plant that is drought tolerant. It can grow to cover a lot of area so it needs plenty of room and it loves the sun. It is popularly found on beaches and sand dunes. This plant is useful for decorating the beach because of it's salt tolerance. It's name which means "sea foam" in Hawaiian is appropriate because it grows on the shoreline. 

Picture taken from: www.nativeplants.hawaii.edu

Kou (Cordia subcordata)

The Kou tree outside of the Hamilton Library.

The Kou tree is a great ornamental tree used for providing shade and screening. As you can see from the picture above this large tree creates an even larger shadow. It is used for landscaping along streets, public parks, housing areas and yards. In the Hawaiian culture this tree was known for it's great bark used for carving bowls, platters, and canoes. The flowers of the Kous were used to make leis. The seeds were even eaten when food was scarce. 

Picture taken from: www.flickr.com