Nānū – Hawaiian Gardenia Drop Earrings

Pretty Nānū flowers to dangle from your lobes, also known as Na’u and Hawaiian gardenia. Nānū are wonderfully fragrant, but sadly endangered. We carved this little bloom to raise awareness of such a pretty and useful plant. Choose from a citrine (to mirror the colors of the gardenia) blue topaz, garnet or dark pink tourmaline

Part of our Kahakai Lei Collection, Hawaiians would use nānū in both strung lei and in lei po’o (head lei) but so much more – read more below. Wear nānū and let our Hawaiian history live on.

Nānū

Nānū (gardenia brighamii), has glossy green leaves, and white flowers with a yellow center. Unlike the gardenias most of us are familiar with, nānū are only about 2″ across. In old Hawaii nānū  had many uses. The fragrant flowers were used as adornment and in lei making. The wood was used for making kapa anvils (kua kuku), and the fruit’s orange-yellow pulp was used to dye kapa, distinguished as a color that doesn’t fade when dried. The plant is also edible, flowers can be used in tea, or eaten raw, cooked, pickled or even preserved in honey. The tart fruits can be eaten raw or in cooked food as well.

While nānū  is thought to have been found on all Hawaiian islands, it is now nearly extinct in its natural habitat. According to various reports, on Oahu there is either just one or possibly two different wild plants in native habitats remaining. Additionally, there is one in Lyon Arboretum, and another in Koko Head Crater, and is known to be relatively easily cultivated. This plant is endemic and considered endangered.