NAME:

Hawaiian:     Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o, hau hele, koki‘o kea, pāmakani

English:        Hibiscus

Latin:            Hibiscus immaculatus

FAMILY:      Malvaceae

STATUS:    Endemic, Easy to propagate

APPEARANCE:       

One of five white hibiscus, this shrub can grow to 8 meters tall.  It grows from 100 to 800 meter elevation.

Flowers: are pure white, white petals with white stamen and a pale yellow tip and are slightly fragrant.  

Leaves: are lighter green than all the other white hibiscus.  Looks similar to immature cabbage leaves.

This plant is a subspecies of the Hibiscus arnottianus.

CULTURAL/HISTORICAL USE

This hibiscus is fragrant.  Remarkably the white Hibiscus was never used in lei making although all five varieties are mentioned here and there in chants and legends.