Adoption of the Hawaii State Flower

In 1912, the Outdoor Circle was established by a group of women to beautify Honolulu and its surrounding areas by planting beautiful trees and flowers. The mission of the Outdoor Circle expanded to "preserve, protect and enhance Hawaii's scenic environment for future generations" and in the 1920s the Outdoor Circle began advocating underground wiring, landscaping military bases, and working toward the elimination of billboards on the island of O'ahu. The Outdoor Circle also promoted adoption of pua aloalo (hibiscus) as an official floral emblem to represent Hawaii.

On May 2, 1923, the territorial legislature, with the "encouragement" of the Outdoor Circle, approved Joint Resolution No. 1 designating the pua aloalo (hibiscus) the flower emblem of Hawaii.

The legislation referred to the flower as an "indigenous blossom", offering "a variety in color and form" and did not specify one particular color. Red was often chosen and portrayed as the color of the flower emblem, but this color was not officially specified by Joint Resolution No. 1.

In 1988, almost thirty years after Hawaii entered the Union, the issue of an official state flower was addressed. Though long considered the state flower, the hibiscus wasn't really "official" in the minds of some. By act 177, approved on June 6, 1988, the Hawaii Legislature adopted the native yellow hibiscus (Hibiscus brackenridgei A. Gray), also known as the pua aloalo or ma`o-hau-helewas, as the "official flower of the State."

In 2000, section 5-16 of the Hawai'i Revised Statutes was amended to name an official flower or lei material for each island. House Bill No. 750, introduced in January 1999 specified island flowers as listed in section 5-16 below. It also added section 5-16.5 to name an official color for each of the islands. Act 165 of the 2000 Hawaii Legislature, prompted by House Bill No. 750 was signed by Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano on June 9, 2000.