‘Ohai Necklace
$150.00 – $220.00
A single lei flower on a chain is the perfect adornment. Simple, allowing the beauty of the flower to speak for itself. ‘Ohai is a pretty flower that used to be used in lei, but is not plentiful enough anymore. Wear this hand carved necklace to remember it for a sustainable and long-lasting option – and tell people about it to raise awareness.
‘Ohai
‘‘Ohai is an endemic Hawaiian plant with both coastal and inland varieties. A relative of the pea family, its colors range from cream to orange, yellow and red. This native plant is listed as endangered, but was a popular lei flower of the Hawaiians in old Hawaii when it was more plentiful. The flowers were strung similar to ʻāwikiwiki, māmane, nanea, nuku ʻiʻiwi, and wiliwili.
Beautiful and distictive, ’ohai was once reported from all main islands in Hawaii. Unfortunately, now we only find it scattered and isolated on sandy beaches and a few inland locations. Some researchers consider each of these populations unique due to the variations from site to site. Sadly, in addition to human activities eroding its habitat, ‘ohai is further endangered because it requires pollination by small native bees (about 6mm!) that are themselves threatened by non-native insects like ants and larger bees.
