Graduation Lei: 'A'ali'i

Lei Lupea
Apr 3
2 min read

About 'A'ali'i

'A'ali'i is one of my favorite types of plants to use in various types of lei. It is a shrub that can grow up to 10 feet high, thriving in a range of habitats from coastal areas to high mountain slopes.

Characteristics of 'A'ali'i

Drought Tolerance: 'A'ali'i is extremely drought tolerant.
Wind Resistance: It is also wind tolerant; while driving over the saddle on Hawaii Island, you can observe the bushes that have grown sideways due to constant wind exposure.
Flowers: The flowers are shaped like little green and red lanterns, clustering tightly together. They range from a very light green/yellow and mature into a dark red/purple.
Leaves: I use the narrow dark green leaves in lei, but the most colorful part comes from the flowers that grow in bunches at the ends of the branches.

While 'A'ali'i can bloom sporadically year round, on our island I notice the flowers starting in late March through the summer months. Of course, this makes it a perfect flower for graduation lei if you have a plentiful source. When picking 'a'ali'i, make sure to ask permission (from plant, land, land owner) and never over pick. Take only what you need and leave the rest. Compost any lei scraps or leftovers, and please, never throw away a lei in the garbage. Always return it to the land (removing any non biodegradable parts first).

'a'ali'i flowers prepped and ready to be made into lei

'A'ali'i is highly adaptable and can be used in lei po'o and lei 'āʻī. It looks beautiful on its own or when combined with other flowers and greenery. Lei made with ʻaʻaliʻi are long-lasting and dry beautifully. You can make the lei a day or two in advance, and it will remain fresh if misted daily and stored wrapped in the fridge. Before using or gifting, simply immerse the entire lei in a tub / sink of water, let it drip dry, and it will be refreshed (note that if it's a mixed lei, some flower types don't tolerate dunking and may brown)! ʻAʻaʻliʻi is papery and firm and may be scratchy against the skin. If you are making a lei poʻo or lei ʻāʻī wili or haku style, you may want to back your lei with kupukupu or palapalai so it will rest softy against the skin.