Lei Flowers

Production on Hawaiʻi Island

Lei flower production tends to be more decentralized and small-scale compared to mainstream floriculture. Many lei flowers are grown by small farmers or even hobbyists who sell surplus blooms. On Hawaiʻi Island, the climate allows outdoor cultivation year-round. Key lei flower crops and their production patterns include:

• Plumeria (Plumeria rubra and Plumeria obtusa, also known as frangipani): Plumeria trees are common in Hawaiʻi’s landscapes and are the source of one of the most iconic lei flowers. On Hawaiʻi Island, plumeria is grown from sea level to moderate elevations, often in sunny, dry areas (Kona side, Kaʻū, Kohala coasts) where the trees thrive with minimal care. Farms may have dedicated “plumeria orchards,” essentially groves of plumeria trees pruned to accessible heights for flower picking. Blossoms are typically hand-picked early in the morning when they are fresh and less likely to bruise. White and yellow varieties are popular for the classic plumeria lei, while pink and rainbow varieties add color. Hawaiʻi Island’s production of plumeria flowers contributes to the statewide supply for graduation season and visitor lei greetings.

• Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa): Tuberose is a night-blooming, highly fragrant white flower borne on tall skinny stalks. It’s traditionally used in wedding leis and special occasion garlands for its perfume. On Hawaiʻi Island, tuberose has been grown in open fields; historically, there were farms in locations like Waimea’s uplands and in Puna. Tuberose bulbs are planted in well-drained soil and the plants produce multiple flushes of flower spikes a year. Harvest involves cutting the spike when most buds are open. In past years, the Hawaiʻi Island was a major tuberose producer, with the flower appearing among top lei flower sales (in 2004, tuberose lei flowers accounted for about $1.3 M) (nass.usda.gov). While current figures aren’t individually published, tuberose continues to be grown, though competition and labor intensity have reduced the number of dedicated farms.

• Pikake (Jasminum sambac): Pikake (Arabian jasmine) is a delicate, highly fragrant white flower traditionally strung into sweet-smelling leis. It is usually grown as a vining shrub. On Hawaiʻi Island, pikake can be grown in warm lowland areas; it requires laborious handpicking of the small blossoms in early morning before they brown. Production is often small garden plots rather than large fields, due to its labor intensity and vulnerability (wind or rain can easily damage flowers). Some farms, however, have rows of pikake trellised or kept as low hedges for ease of harvest.

• Crown Flower (Calotropis gigantea, Hawaiian: pua kalaunu): A shrub that produces waxy star-shaped purple or white flowers. Crown flower leis were famously a favorite of Queen Liliʻuokalani. It grows well in Hawaiʻi Island’s drier areas (it’s quite salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant). There may be small plantings of crown flower specifically for lei makers – it’s a hardy plant, but the flowers need gentle handling. Usually, crown flower supply comes from backyards and roadsides as much as farms.

• Orchid Lei Flowers: These are typically dendrobium orchid blossoms (single blooms, not the entire spray) used in mass for leis. On Hawaiʻi Island, some dendrobium cut-flower growers sell blooms to lei makers. The production method is the same as cut dendrobium orchids, but instead of keeping the whole spray, individual flowers are plucked and bagged. Often these come as by-products of cut flower harvest (lower quality sprays might be dismantled for lei flowers). However, given that over 90% of lei sold in Hawaiʻi today are made from imported flowers (largely orchids from Thailand) (hawaiipublicradio.org), the local production of dendrobium blooms for leis has dwindled. Hawaiʻi Island orchid farms historically contributed blossoms for lei factories on Oahu, but now Thai imports fill much of that need.

• Maile and Greenery: Though not a “flower,” the maile vine (Alyxia stellata) is a cherished lei greenery (used in open leaf leis, especially for men at weddings and graduations). On Hawaiʻi Island, maile is actually cultivated by a few growers, especially after over-harvesting in the wild became a concern. These are often in fern understory in Hilo or Puna. Similarly, palapalai fern (Microlepia strigosa) is grown/gathered for hula leis. We mention these because lei craftsmanship involves both blossoms and foliage.

Hawaiʻi Island’s share in lei flower production is significant for certain items (tuberose, crown flower, maile) and less so for others (Oahu has more plumeria farms, for instance). Many Hawaiʻi Island growers sell lei flowers within the island (for local use in Hilo and Kona), and some ship to Oahu during peak lei seasons (such as May for graduations and June for King Kamehameha Day).

Production Data

Precise recent data on lei-specific flower output is limited because NASS combines “cut flowers and cut lei flowers” in reporting. However, some insights: In 2020, cut flowers & lei flowers combined were $5.51 M, down from over $7 M in 2018 – a drop attributed to COVID-19 halting events (and thus lei exchanges). Even pre-pandemic, the lei flower sector was under pressure. A Hawaiʻi Public Radio report in 2023 highlighted that “more than 90% of the lei sold in Hawaiʻi are made from imported flowers” and warned of a decline in local lei flower farming (hawaiipublicradio.org). This implies local production meets under 10% of the huge lei market demand; the rest is satisfied by imports (for example, bulk dendrobium blooms from Asia, marigolds from Asia for Indian leis, etc.). Still, Hawaiʻi Island farmers contribute meaningful quantities, especially for specialty leis. For instance, they remain one of the few sources for maile, tuberose, and pakalana (Telosma cordata, another fragrant vine) as these are not imported at scale. Older data (2004) showed lei flower sales of $3.36 M (which included plumeria, tuberose, etc.), indicating the local industry’s former size. The decline since then is evident in narratives if not explicit numbers – fewer new farmers have entered this space.

Value-Added Products and Uses

The ultimate value-added product of these blooms is the lei itself. Many growers of lei flowers also string and sell finished leis, which significantly increases the value of the raw flowers. For example, a tuberose grower might wholesale blossoms by the bag, but could make more per flower by hand-stringing tuberose into a double-strand pikake-style lei and selling it retail. On Hawaiʻi Island, especially in Hilo, there are family businesses that both grow lei flowers and create lei for sale at airports, farmers’ markets, or via orders. Lei making is a skilled craft; adding labor and artistry transforms simple flowers into high-value cultural products. Some specific value-added items include: haku lei (flower crowns) weaving, where an assortment of small flowers and greens (like ʻōʻhiʻa lehua blossoms, palapalai fern, bougainvillea) are woven into a head lei – growers might supply these as specialty orders. Lei kits have even emerged, where customers can buy a kit of Hawaiʻi Island-grown flowers and instructions to string their own lei (marketed during the pandemic as a virtual workshop activity).

Another value-added aspect is festivity and tourism: Lei flowers from Hawaiʻi Island feed into the state’s hospitality gestures – visitors often receive a fresh flower lei upon arrival (a practice mostly on Oahu but sometimes out of Kona as well). These leis are a value-added service by hotels or tour companies, and they source flowers from growers or lei shops. While many of those leis are now made with imported dendrobiums, some tour providers specifically seek “Hawaiʻi-grown leis” as a premium offering, which benefits local growers of plumeria or other blooms.

From an agricultural standpoint, some lei flower producers turn to value-added products like essential oils or hydrosols. Pikake and tuberose are used in perfumery – a few farms experiment with distilling these extremely fragrant flowers into oils for perfumes or into scented sachets, thereby capturing value beyond the fresh state (these are niche, as it takes a lot of blossoms for small oil yield). Dried lei as wall hangings or keepsakes (like braided ti leaf leis allowed to dry) are another minor value-added avenue.

Market Trends and Competitiveness

The lei flower segment is at a crossroads. Culturally, demand for leis remains high in Hawaiʻi for occasions like graduations, birthdays, weddings, and memorials – this is a stable or even growing demand as population and traditions continue. However, local supply has been shrinking due to multiple factors: labor-intensive cultivation and picking, relatively low prices for flowers, competition from imports, and an aging farmer demographic. Many current lei flower farmers are older; as they retire, fewer young farmers are replacing them, partly because one can import flowers more cheaply than grow them. For example, why grow dendrobium orchids for leis when imported blooms cost a fraction? This has led to an alarming statistic quoted in 2023 that over 90% of leis sold in Hawaiʻi use imported flower, even pikake imported from as far as Indonesia now (hawaiipublicradio.org). The influx of imports (Thai orchids, Fiji and Micronesia maile, etc.) keeps lei prices lower but undermines local growers.

However, this very challenge is spurring initiatives. Groups like BEHawaiʻi’s Lei Poinaʻole Project are aiming to revitalize the local lei flower industry.  They recognize the risk that if nothing is done, “lei are just going to disappear (from Hawaiʻi farms) within a decade” (hawaiipublicradio.org). This project and others seek to support growers in planting more lei material (getting more vines and trees in the ground) and training a new generation in cultivation and lei-making, to ensure this culturally important craft remains local. There’s a push for grants and programs to make lei flower farming more profitable—such as subsidizing pikake or tuberose plantings, or establishing co-ops that can market local leis at a premium as authentic Hawaiian-made.

Market trends also show seasonal spikes: Graduation season (April-June) is huge for leis; local supply often can’t meet it, hence imports. If Hawaiʻi Island growers can ramp up production timed for these peaks, they could capture more of that market. Technology might lend a hand – for instance, controlled environment agriculture (greenhouses) to force plumeria to bloom earlier or later than usual, or using lights to manipulate daylength for pikake (though research on that is limited). Also, new varieties can help: more disease-resistant or floriferous varieties of lei flowers could reduce labor. The University of Hawaiʻi has done some breeding (e.g., in plumeria and dendrobium) that could indirectly benefit lei production by providing hardier plants.

Competitiveness also ties into quality. For certain lei, local flowers are superior: e.g., plumeria picked fresh in Hawaiʻi have fragrance that imported ones (which might be older upon arrival) can’t match. Some customers are willing to pay more for that freshness and fragrance. Similarly, locally grown maile tends to be fresher and more pliable than imported maile, making for a nicer lei. By emphasizing these quality differences (and leveraging Hawaiʻi branding), local producers can carve out a market even alongside cheaper imports.

Another dynamic is diversification of lei styles. Traditional single-flower strand leis are now complemented by mixed leis (using multiple flower types) and lei po’o (head leis) in events – these require a broader palette of materials, some of which, like certain small wildflowers or greens, are only available locally. This creates niche opportunities: a Hawaiʻi Island farm that grows say, purple stadium ceiba flowers or native palapalai ferns for haku leis is filling a need imports cannot easily fill.

In terms of distribution, direct sales and e-commerce have emerged. Mainland customers often order Hawaiian leis online for delivery (especially for graduations). Some Hawaiʻi Island vendors have tapped into this by shipping leis overnight packed in coolers. Competing with Oahu lei shops (which have airport proximity) is a challenge, but Hawaiʻi Island producers can join marketplaces or supply those Oahu shops with raw materials.

Looking forward, the competitiveness of Hawaiʻi Island’s lei flower sector may well depend on coupling cultural value with economic incentive. Efforts to label and certify leis as “Made in Hawaiʻi” (with locally grown flowers) could allow higher pricing. Education to consumers – e.g., a note that buying a locally sourced lei supports Hawaiian farmers – might shift some demand back to local. And as noted by community leaders, engaging youth through programs like 4-H or FFA in growing lei plants could spark interest. On the farming side, even modest mechanization (like using platforms for pickers to harvest tall plumeria trees, or small machines to help de-petal crown flowers) could ease labor burdens.

In conclusion, lei flowers remain a beloved product of Hawaiʻi’s agriculture, and Hawaiʻi Island contributes key materials especially in niche and traditional varieties. While facing steep competition and generational turnover issues, there is a clear recognition of their cultural importance and a rallying call to reinvigorate this sector.