Koki‘o is a red-flowered hibiscus endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. A closely related plant, Hibiscus clayi, is endemic only to Kaua‘i and differs in a few characteristics, the most easily observable being that H. clayi leaves are narrower and have the margins smooth or serrate (toothed) only close to the apex; H. kokio leaves are serrate along most of the margin. Flowers are typically dark red, but H. kokio has natural varietes from Kaua‘i that have orange or rarely yellow petals. See if you can determine which species this plant belongs to.

The koki‘o plants fail to produce seeds at Nā Pōhaku o Hauwahine. However, we have forced seed production by hand transferring pollen between plants, and a couple of our plants were grown from these seeds.

This species has been used in breeding cultivars of Chinese hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis), the common hibiscus flower seen in cultivation around the state.