A tree, almost always in bloom, produces sweet-smelling flowers often used for making lei in Hawaiʻi. Its Hawaiian name means “ten-cent flower” because that was the price of each blossom when it was first introduced to the islands in the 1930’s.
- Native to New Guinea, Northern Australia and some Pacific islands, where it is called simply 🌺pua or 🌺pua lulu
- Shrub or small tree that can grow up to 20 feet tall
- Glossy green leaves and white, yellow or orange flowers
It has a song named after it, “Lei Pua Kenikeni,” written by John Kameaaloha Almeida, a famous Hawaiian composer