Native Hawaiian Plant Month (April): How Kalo Brought Our Garden (and Us) Back to Life

April in Hawaiʻi is Native Hawaiian Plant Month—a time to celebrate the incredible diversity and biocultural value of our islands’ native plants, and to remember that protecting them is part of how we mālama ʻāina.

For me, this month always brings me back to how we transformed our own yard to include more native plants.

Tiare (Gardenia taitensis) - non-native plant

The plants that welcomed us home

When we first moved into our home, I fell in love with the tiare bushes lining the path to the front door. I loved the fragrance as we came home when they were all blooming.

But as we settled in, I started noticing something else: almost everything planted around our home wasn’t native to Hawaiʻi.

And then came COVID, a time when so many of us were forced to slow down, stay home. While at home with my two young keiki at the time, we really look at what was right in front of us. Our family deepened our connection to culture and to ʻāina in a way that changed how we lived.

A field trip Hui Ku Maoli Ola plant nursery to pick some native plants for our home

Digging up what didn’t belong (and making room for what does)

We began by digging up the mock orange that ran around the perimeter of our home. It wasn’t glamorous work. My husband spent hours digging it up by hand as those roots ran so deep.

Our soil was dry, rocky, and hard clay—the kind that makes you wonder if anything will ever grow there.

But we kept going, not really knowing what we were doing and learning as we went. We were slowly reconnecting and we were making space without any real plan but quietly guided by our kupuna (ancestors).

Kalo we got from huli drives 

Planting kalo changed everything

We planted kalo we got from huli drives, and slowly… life came back.

The soil started to soften.

The space started to feel different.

And honestly? Kalo nourished our souls. It reminded us that growth takes time, care, and intention.

As our ʻāina came back to life, it became possible to add more.

We started planting natives:

• Kupukupu
• Pōhinahina
• ʻAʻaliʻi
• ʻIlima
• Hāpuʻu
• Naʻu (or Nānū)
• Neke
• Palapalai
• And now ʻōhiʻa lehua

Each one felt like a step closer to the kind of home—and the kind of future—we want for our keiki.

ʻAʻalii we grew from small potted plants 

What makes a plant “native” to Hawaiʻi?

This is where things can get confusing, because in Hawaiʻi we also have plants that are deeply tied to Hawaiian life and culture, even if they didn’t arrive here on their own.

Here are a few helpful definitions:

• Native plants are plants that came to Hawaiʻi without the assistance of people.
• Endemic plants are native plants that are found only in Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi is especially known for this: out of roughly 1,400 native plant species, nearly 90% are endemic.
• Indigenous generally means a species is native to a place and can also be found naturally in other places (it’s not exclusive to Hawaiʻi the way an endemic plant is).
• Introduced plants are plants that arrived in Hawaiʻi because people brought them—intentionally or unintentionally.

A note on canoe plants

You may also hear the term canoe plants—plants brought by Polynesian voyagers (like kalo, niu, kukui, and milo). These plants are not “native” in the strict scientific definition, but they are absolutely Native Hawaiian culture plants, woven into food systems, medicine, ceremony, and daily life.

Ti-Leaf Roses we made. Ti (also known as Ki or Lāʻī) is a canoe plant.

Why Native Hawaiian Plant Month matters (and why we talk about it as a brand)

At The Keiki Dept, our mission is to celebrate and share the beauty of Hawaiʻi through thoughtfully designed pieces that help keiki and ʻohana feel connected to culture—and inspired to protect our island home.

That’s not just something we say. It has to show up in real life.

Native plants are part of what makes Hawaiʻi Hawaiʻi. They hold stories, relationships, and ecosystems together. When native plants disappear, we don’t just lose greenery—we lose habitat, knowledge, and balance.

Native Hawaiian Plant Month is a reminder that:

• Our islands are unique—and many plants exist only here
• Native ecosystems need protection, especially from invasive species and habitat loss
• Learning is part of how we mālama ʻāina (care for the land)—the more we know, the better choices we make

What you can do this month (small steps count)

You don’t have to be a botanist or have a huge yard to participate.

Here are a few simple ways to celebrate Native Hawaiian Plant Month:

1. Learn one new plant name (Hawaiian name + what it does in the ecosystem)
2. Plant something native (even one pot on a lanai is a start)
3. Ask questions at your nursery about what’s native, what’s invasive, and what’s safe to plant
4. Be mindful on hikes—stay on trail and clean your shoes/gear to avoid spreading invasives

Our favorite nursery on Oʻahu

If you’re on Oʻahu and you’ve been wanting to start (or add to) your native plant journey, our favorite nursery is Hui Kū Maoli Ola. They are also a great resource of information for us and are always sharing photos of their native plants on instagram.

You can buy from them directly, and you can also find some of their plants through retailers like Home Depot or City Mill.

A gentle invitation

If you’ve ever looked at your yard (or your neighborhood, or the spaces your keiki grow up in) and felt that pull to do better—this is your sign.

Start small. Talk story with someone who knows more. Plant one native. Learn one name.

Because when we care for native plants, we’re caring for the future of Hawaiʻi—and the future our keiki will inherit.

References

• Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT): Lāʻau Love: Celebrating Native Hawaiian Plant Month
• DLNR News Release: April Proclaimed as Native Hawaiian Plant Month by Governor Green

Shop Our Mea Kanu Seed Kits - recommended only for Hawaiʻi residents, plants are adapted for Hawaiʻi