Quick answer: 13 native plants for pollinators are native to Hawaii, 1 with a live listing as of 24 Oct 2026.
13 species
- Hinahina kū kahakai Heliotropium anomalum · 1 states
- Kou Cordia subcordata · 1 states
- Koʻokoʻolau Bidens menziesii · 1 states
- Koʻoloaʻula (red ʻilima) Abutilon menziesii · 1 states
- Loulu (Hillebrand's fan palm) Pritchardia hillebrandii · 1 states
- Maʻo hau hele (Hawaiian yellow hibiscus) Hibiscus brackenridgei · 1 states
- Milo Thespesia populnea · 1 states
- Nehe Lipochaeta succulenta · 1 states
- Pāʻūohiʻiaka Jacquemontia sandwicensis · 1 states
- Pōhinahina (beach vitex) Vitex rotundifolia · 1 states
- Pōhuehue (beach morning glory) Ipomoea pes-caprae · 1 states
- Wiliwili Erythrina sandwicensis · 1 states
- ʻIlieʻe Plumbago zeylanica · 1 states
Native plants for pollinators in Hawaii: what to know
13 of the 30 plants native to Hawaii in this directory fit this need: 43% of the state's list, well below the 72% share across all species.
Between them they flower from January through December, with the most in bloom in January. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 11 are also drought-tolerant.
12 of them grow in full or partial sun and 1 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Nehe and Pōhinahina (beach vitex) to trees such as Kou and Loulu (Hillebrand's fan palm). For wildlife, 13 support pollinators and 1 provide food or cover for birds.
1 of the 13 has a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Milo Thespesia populnea · Sun · blooms Year-round