Go Native Quick Reference FAQ

Common = typically available or just temporarily out of stock at nurseries specializing in native or canoe plants.

Variable = species that may be harder to find (or not), so call the nursery in advance. If they don’t have it, they may be happy to propagate it for you with advanced notice.

To find your climate zone or read more, consult this page.

You can also access the climate zones map and filter by plants matching that climate zone in the Go Native Quick Reference App. Just click on the “Map View” button in the top right corner to access this feature.

Note: select coastal if it’s within 1/3 of a mile of the ocean. If you’re at a zone boundary, select both zones, but carefully review each plant’s summary (particularly moisture needs) to verify that it’s appropriate for your site. For more information on these climate zones and how plants were assigned to them, see MAPPING PLANT SPECIES RANGES IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: DEVELOPING A METHODOLOGY AND ASSOCIATED GIS LAYERS

The following terms are used to characterize how much the plant spreads (by seed or vegetatively):

Minimal = hardly at all.

Sparse = often spotty.

Variable = inconsistent.

Moderate = when conditions are ideal, typically spreads outward and may be useful to fill in an area over time.

For plant species Federally listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Also see “Population Status” for other designations (PEPP, SWAP).

All plants in this database have some potential value in the residential landscape setting, but not all have showy, colorful flowers. Select a flower color or other attractive feature to filter for those plants.

Easy = plants can’t be neglected, but they are ideal for new gardeners that need something a little hardier.

Challenging = plants are great for experienced native plant gardeners.

Select “Easy” and “Average” to just exclude the more challenging plants.

Select the landscape design role you are looking for.

Accent: plants that are ideal in periodic clusters (of 3-5) to guide the eye and bring unity to the design.

Container: plants that do well in containers (not all plants do).

Cliff Plant: plants that naturally occur in cliff sites, making them especially well adapted to shallow containers (and they may be especially suited to the windy conditions of a high-rise balcony).

Fragrant: plants with flowers (or sometimes foliage) that offer a pleasant smell.\r\n\r\nGround cover: plants that are generally low growing (<3' tall) and usually cover the soil surface, helping to reduce weeds.

Hedge: plants that are suitable for creating a boundary (<3') and usually respond well to pruning.

Screen: plants that can form a privacy screen (usually>5').

Shade: plants that are tall enough to create shade and cool an area.

Specimen: plants that may be planted singly as "showstoppers" due to some feature that causes them to stand out, such as colorful flowers or a unique growth form.

Trellis: plants that climb up and cover or be trained to grow on a vertical structure (usually vines).

Water feature: plants suitable for water features (soils need to be very moist soil and/or plants tolerate being partially submerged in water).

For the conservationists looking to provide habitat for native forest birds: While avian malaria along with habitat loss have pushed most native forest birds to high elevations, birds that historically existed at lower elevations and may have some remnant populations there are listed. If a cure for avian malaria is found, putting these plants in your landscape (if you’re in a suitable climate zone for them) could create valuable habitat. To only feature plants suitable for birds that exist on your island, select your island on the search page (immediately above “Attracted Fauna”).

For the bird lovers and hikers: You may not live in an area and climate zone suitable for forest birds and plants that provide habitat for forest birds, but you may still be curious about which native plants are valued by/associated with native forest birds. If so, scroll to the top, click “reset search” and select the bird of interest.

Plants in this database are native (arrived on the islands by natural processes, not by human influence) or canoe plants (brought by Polynesian voyagers for their survival and well being). Native plants are further categorized as indigenous (native to Hawai’i and other parts of the world); or endemic (exist only in Hawai’i, and sometimes only on a certain valley or mountain range on a single island).

As the most isolated island chain in the world, Hawai’i is a biological hotspot where approximately 90% of of the flora is endemic (found nowhere else in the world).

Some native species did not spread naturally to all the islands. Select your island to only show native plants that have spread there without human intervention. Selecting what naturally occurs on your island ensures using species best adapted to your site and avoids potentially contaminating an intact plant community with a closely related species that doesn’t naturally occur there. If you are in a developed area miles from any undisturbed, intact native plant community, this risk is considerably lower, but it’s important to be aware of this.

Additionally, if you are adjacent to an intact plant community that may have native forest birds and you want to extend potential habitat for them in your yard, selecting your island will only feature the plants that are known to be valued by native forest birds that exist on your island (plants that are valuable to native forest birds will not be featured if that native bird does not persist on your island).

“SWAP” status is for species listed in Hawai‘i’s State Wildlife Action Plan which provides strategies for long-term conservation of species and their habitats.

“Interaction” status is for plants listed within in SWAP that provide important habitat or are dominant in the community.

“PEPP” status is for plants in the Plant Extinction Prevention Program.

“Threatened/Endangered” status is for species Federally listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Select whether you're above or below 2,000' in elevation. This filter is most important for those at either end of the elevation spectrum (coastal or high elevation) as some plants adapted to conditions at high elevations will do poorly at low elevations and vice versa.

Pruning categories:

May need regular = grows quickly or rambles.

Minimal pruning = some occasional clipping or trimming may be needed.

Not necessary = very low maintenance regarding pruning.

Easily shaped = great if you want a formal hedge, potential for topiary, etc.

Limit pruning = avoid as this species may be prone to disease or insect attack following pruning.

Unknown = unknown, we don't have enough information to provide pruning guidelines.

Salt tolerance is variable. If your site is right on the coast with direct salt spray, do some additional research to determine its tolerance (see Salt and Wind Tolerance for Landscape Plants of Hawaii).

Occasionally, something short-lived is desirable.

Yes = if you need short-lived plants that may be used to fill in an area temporarily (for example, while the canopy of a newly planted tree develops) or you don't mind replanting.

No = to exclude short-lived plants.

All plants spread by seeds, spores or vegetatively (roots, bulbs, rhizomes etc), but given the right environmental conditions, some are more aggressive which can be a benefit or a detriment, depending on your needs.

Spreaders = plants that usually expand outwards (may be used to fill in bare ground and reduce weeding).

Knows boundaries = plants that don't spread vegetatively to encroach on tender plants nearby, nor do they typically produce a lot of volunteer seedlings that need weeding.

Variable = are plants that may spread, but not as consistently.

Yes = plants valued by native yellow-faced bees and/or introduced honey bees.

Yellow-faced bees = plants valued by these native bees which have experienced widespread habitat loss, population decline and extinctions over the last 100 years. Planting these species could be advantageous to their survival.

Honey bees = plants valued by honey-bees. Planting these species could be helpful to you and any nearby farmers with plants dependent on honey-bees for pollination.

Adjust the range bar below to feature plants appropriate for your site if you did little supplemental watering (once established).

1 = extremely drought tolerant (once established, would rarely need additional water).

2 = accustomed to dry soils (in periods of drought, water 1-2/month once established).

3 = accustomed to moist but tolerates occasionally dry.

4 = prefers continuously moist soils.

5 = wet to submerged (water feature).

Most native Hawaiian plants require well-drained soils. If your planting location is not well drained, select "No" to feature plants that will tolerate occasionally or regularly water logged soils.