Puakenikeni

Description:

Puakenikeni in Hawaiian translation means “ten cent flower." They were sold for ten cents in the 1930’s when it was first introduced to Hawaii. The puakenikeni is used in lei making throughout Hawaiʻi, as well as on the mainland. The trees have green, blunt-tipped leaves and are 13 feet tall on average. The trees themselves have skinny trunks and branches. The puakenikeni flowers can range from a creamy white to a deep orangey-gold in color. They grow from bulbous stalks attached to the branches of the trees. The flowers grow in clusters and tend to be located at the end of branches . Flower clusters are generally dispersed throughout the trees. A round waxy fruits also grows on the puakenikeni trees. This specific tree rarely bares flowers and fruit because of the type of soil it grows in.

Habitat:

I found this puakenikeni tree in Kaneohe, Hawaii on the backroad of Kaneohe Elementary School.

Notes:

The puakenikeni flowers were used for leis for men and women.