Kooloaula at Dusk
Kooloaula has been here far longer than any road, any house, any fence line. And most people have no idea. Most people have never even heard its name.
Kooloaula (Abutilon menziesii) is a critically endangered shrub endemic to Hawaiʻi, clinging to existence in a handful of protected places. I've been lucky enough to encounter it in a few of them. I've seen it growing at Waikoloa Dry Forest, in the curated care of Waimea Valley, and on the campus of my alma mater. Each time, it felt like a small privilege.
It even grows near our home. It is the reason certain areas are fenced off, the reason the road winds the way it does. And most people never know. They move through their day without any idea that the land was shaped around something that has been deemed essential to protect.
That invisibility is exactly what makes it so vulnerable. It doesn't disappear dramatically. It just gets passed by. Construction moves in, neighborhoods grow denser, and what was once dry forest simply isn't anymore. You might have heard it called red ilima, but that name is misleading. Kooloaula isn't related to ilima at all. It just shares that warm, fiery spirit. The flower is found in varying shades of burgundy, and most people will never see it in person.
This digital artwork is a departure for me. I typically work only in the true colors of the plant, staying faithful to what nature gave it. This time, I kept the anatomy true and every detail of the kooloaula is accurate, but the colors are where I let myself play. I wanted it to feel like a warm summer hug, that beautiful moment where the heat of the day softens into the cool of the night, much like the evening hours my husband and I have been spending out on our runs. Kooloaula already wears those colors so naturally. This piece is where the flower and the hour became one.
Native plants like kooloaula are vibrant, stunning, and full of life. They deserve to be seen, celebrated, and remembered. I hope this piece is a small reminder of just how beautiful they are, and that something this extraordinary is worth knowing, worth protecting, and worth celebrating.