Hunakai (Ipomoea imperati)
Hawaiian name: Hunakai
Botanical name: Ipomoea imperati
Family: Convolvulaceae (Morning Glory Family)
Status: Indigenous
Where found: Maui, Moloka‘i, O‘ahu, Ni‘ihau & Kaua‘i
Water/Light: Dry, with full sun exposure
Elevation range: 0 to 150 feet
Height: Less than 1 foot, with an up to 30 foot spread (vine)
Notes: Hunakai means "sea foam" in Hawaiian, which is appropriate considering its shoreline habitat. This native morning glory, with its bright white flowers, is easy to maintain in a landscape and stays very low to the ground. In some areas of the world, hunakai is used medicinally to treat inflammation, swelling, and postpartum pain. Hunakai is drought, wind, salt and heat tolerant.
— at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens.
From Work Done by Whit Germano to Catalog Native Hawaiian Plants
MNBG
A Few Native Hawaiian Plants from the MNBG Collection
- ‘A‘ali‘i (Dodonaea viscosa)
- Alahe'e (Psydrax odorata)
- ‘Ānapanapa (Colubrina asiatica)
- Hala (Pandanus tectorius)
- Hala pepe (Dracaena auwahiensis)
- Hau (Hibiscus tileaceus)
- Hō‘awa (Pittosporum glabrum)
- Hō‘awa (Pittosporum hosmeri)
- ‘Iliahi (Santalum haleakalae)
- ʻIlima papa (Sida fallax)
- Kalo (Taro), Colocasia esculenta)
- Kamani (Callophyllum inophyllum)
- Koa (Acacia koa)
- Koai‘a (Acacia koaia)
- Koki‘a, Hau hele ‘ula (Kokia drynarioides)
- Koki‘o ke‘o ke‘o (Hibiscus arnottianus subsp. arnottianus)
- Koki‘o ke‘oke‘o (Hibiscus arnottianus subsp. immaculatus)
- Koki‘o ‘ula‘ula (Hibiscus kokio ssp. kokio)
- Koki‘o ‘ula‘ula (Hibiscus kokio ssp. saintjohnnianus)
- Koki‘o ke‘o ke‘o (Hibiscus waimeae ssp. waimeae)
- Kou (Cordia subcordata)
- Kukui (Aleurites moluccana)
- Loulu lelo (Pritchardia hillebrandii)
- Loulu (Pritchardia remota)
- Maʻo (Gossypium tomentosum)
- Ma‘o hau hele (Hibiscus brackenridgei)
- Māmaki (Pipturus albidus)
- Mau‘u lā‘ili (Sisyrinchium acre)
- Milo (Thespesia populnea)
- Naio (Myoporum sandwicense)
- Nānū (Gardenia brighamii)
- Ōhai (Sesbania tomentosa)
- ʻŌhiʻa ʻai (Syzygium malaccense)
- ‘Ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha)
- Pōhinahina (Vitex rotundifolia)
- Pōkalakala (Polyscias racemosa)
- ‘Uala (Sweet Potato)
- ‘Uki ‘uki (Dianella sandwicensis)
- ʻUlu cv. ‘Maʻafala’(Artocarpus altilis)
- Wauke (Broussonetia papyrifera)
- Wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis)