Found from mauka to makai and blooming year-round in shades of gold and amber, the ʻilima's delicate papery petals were so prized they were once worn only by aliʻi — and so fleeting it takes up to a thousand blossoms to string a single strand. A reminder that resilience is not just something we admire, it is something we are part of and have a kuleana to protect.
Kū makani — standing in the wind. A new collaboration with Sugar Caddy featuring the ʻaʻaliʻi, dedicated to the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, and honored at Merrie Monarch. Art rooted in resilience, aloha ʻāina, and the plants that hold our land together.
Iiwi and Lehua. A new collaboration with Sugar Caddy, dedicated to the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, and honored at Merrie Monarch. Art rooted in moʻokūauhau, ecology, and aloha ʻāina.
The wiliwili is one of Hawaiʻi's most iconic native trees—and one of its most endangered. Learn about the cultural significance of its flowers and seeds, its essential role in the Hawaiian lowland dry forest, and how the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative is working to bring it back. This print is part of our Dry Forest Collection, available on stationery made in Hawaiʻi and apparel in collaboration with Sugar Caddy.
The puakenikeni, with its warm fragrance and golden hue, has become one of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved lei flowers. Though introduced to the islands, it has been fully embraced, often associated with celebration, aloha, and cherished memories. The word puakenikeni means “ten-cent...
The ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is one of Hawaiʻi’s most important native trees, found from coastal lowlands to high volcanic slopes. It plays a critical role in native ecosystems—often the first to grow on new lava flows, helping to create...
ʻŪlei (Osteomeles anthyllidifolia) is a native coastal shrub with small white flowers and wood once used for tools and lei-making. First featured in my 2016 workshops, this piece is a celebration of how community support has made it possible to bring the artwork to life and honor Hawaiʻi’s native plants.
Inspired by my very first workshops in 2016, this artwork celebrates nine native beach flowers of Hawaiʻi—naupaka kahakai, ʻilima, pōhinahina, pā‘ū o Hi‘iaka, hau, ʻūlei, pōhuehue, maʻo, and koʻaliawa—each with its own story of beauty, resilience, and cultural significance. These plants not only thrive in some of the harshest coastal conditions, from shifting sands to salt spray, but also help protect the biodiversity and integrity of the ʻāina. Just like the reminder printed on this collection’s list pad and matching sticker sheet: thrive where you are planted.
Kupukupu, a native Hawaiian fern, thrives wherever it takes root—quietly spreading, unfurling, and reaching for the light. A symbol of perseverance, it’s a gentle reminder that growth happens one frond at a time.
At first glance, a lei pūpū may seem like a simple string of shells—but to those who understand its origins, it is a legacy of craftsmanship, geography, and cultural endurance. These shell lei, traditionally created on the island of Niʻihau,...
Plumeria isn’t native to Hawaiʻi, but it’s become part of our story. In this blog, I share my pilina to this beloved flower through memories of my grandma’s front yard, lei-making, and the quiet generosity that shaped my connection to place and community.
Introduced to Hawaiʻi in the 1800s, pīkake has become one of the islands' most beloved lei flowers — named by a princess, carried by its scent, and for many of us, tied to the people we love most.
