Hawaii is such a Neverland you won’t be surprised that each island has its own color, 8 islands, 8 colors. Most all given for the color of flowers growing on each isle. The Hawaiian islands is a lei of colorful flowers, strung across the sea. Is this a charming state or what?
Here are the official colors and flowers of Hawaiian islands from the bottom to the top, Hawaii to Ni’ihau.
The Big Island – Red – Lehua flower
First, The Big Island is red for the fire goddess Pele who lives there, lava is also red. The bright red flower growing in the tropical forests on Hawaii island is the Lehua. It is a bottlebrush- blossom. It shines fiery red on the leaves of the gnarled Ohia Tree. Hawaii is so poetic the names get entwined, the tree and the flower is the Ohia-Lehua tree.
There’s a legend where two lovers, Ohia, the man, and Lehua, the woman, were joined together, one was the tree and the lady, the flower. If you pick the Lehua flower, you separate her from Ohia and he cries- and his tears come down as rain. If you want it to rain pick the Lehua flower.
Maui – Pink – Lokelani rose
Next on the lei of islands is Maui, its color is pink. It’s the pink color of the roses that bloom everywhere on the Valley Isle. “A rose by any other name would still be a rose”, and as a matter of fact it does have another name, Lokelani (low-kay-lawn’-ee). That’s Hawaiian for the Maui Rose. Boldly pink and fragrant is the Maui Rose.
Kahoolawe – Gray – Hinahina plant
Offshore of Maui is the island of Kahoolawe, a lonely little island because no one can go there. Not a building or beach hut is there, but it is still a respectable little place. It proudly gives us the beautiful Hinahina (hee’-nah hee’-nah) Plant, trimmed with silver gray. Gray is the Kahoolawe’s color.
Lanai – Orange – Kaunaoa plant
Another nearby island is Lanai, this island’s color is orange, from the Kaunaoa (kah’-oo-nah-oh’-ah) plant. It grows on the ground shining orange, all along the beaches.
Molokai – Green – Kukui Nut flower
Number five on this lei string of islands is Friendly Isle, Molokai. Its color is green, the island flower is the white kukui nut flower, but it’s color is still green. All the research turned up was that Molokai is rural, with rolling green fields, that must be it.
Oahu – Yellow – Ilima flower
Now for the Diamond Head, Waikiki, Hawaii 5-0 island of Oahu. With all its freeways of gray, and hotels of white, and cliffs of green, Oahu’s color is yellow. It is from a golden yellow flower the Ilima. It is the symbol of love. It blooms brightest at the Urban Garden Center. It is the only flower that grows on the island of Oahu. Just kidding, but almost.
Kauai – Purple – Mokihana berry
Then comes Kauai, its color is purple, the color of the flowers on the fragrant Mokihana Tree. Berries on the tree have been used for centuries as perfume and air-fresheners. Ancient Hawaii. Yes, Hawaiian ladies used perfume way back when.
Ni’ihau – White – White Pupu shell
Last on the island string of the lei is the distant island of Ni’ihau (knee’-ee-how). The forbidden island that no one but Hawaiians can visit. It’s a rebel in the color scheme, its color is not named for a flower but for the special white shells found there. Ni’ihau’s color is white. The leis from the island, called Ni’ihau Shell Leis, sell for hundreds, even thousands of dollars each.
Floral Parade in Hawaii
What would be the use of all these colors if they weren’t paraded out and shown off? And they are, in grand style, at parades all over Hawaii. The best ones celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha I, Father of Hawaii. His birthday is June 10, but to keep it on a Saturday, this year 2018, the parades are on June 9. Kamehameha Day parade Oahu is downtown Honolulu June 9 and on Hawaii, downtown Kona and Hilo.
There are other floral parades that also show off the Hawaii colors and how they are shown is the most exciting of all – each island color is portrayed by dazzling flowers draped over horses ridden by beautiful ladies. Hawaii keeps getting better and better.
The ladies on horseback are called Pa’u (pah’-oo) riders, not to be confused with pau (pow) – the Hawaiian word for finished. Pa’u means skirt in Hawaiian and especially means ladies wearing colored skirts prancing in a parade. They’ve been wearing Pa’u, riding colorful horses in Hawaii since 1906.
The parade starts and here come the ladies! Each riding a horse draped with island flowers. A Palomino, a black horse, white horse, on they prance, with pretty ladies wearing their island’s color, smiling and waving to the crowd. The Big Island girl on a horse with bright red flowers, Maui in pink. Then Kaho’olawe on a horse bedecked in silver gray, then Molokai – green and Oahu – bright yellow, on and on they walk, one behind the other in a colorful collage of ladies and horses, flowers and leaves.
It’s really true that Hawaii is a colorful place. So you know one island from the other, here again are …
The Official Colors and Flowers of 8 Hawaiian islands
Hawaii – Red – Lehua flower
Maui – Pink – Lokelani rose
Kahoolawe – Gray – Hinahina plant
Lanai – Orange – Kaunaoa plant
Molokai – Green – Kukui Nut flower
Oahu – Yellow – Ilima flower
Kauai – Purple – Mokihana berry
Niihau – White – White Pupu shell
Comparison of the 8 Hawaiian islands to the 8 main chakras of the body
Please don’t take the parallels below too seriously! I am not saying that any particular island is lacking any energies. But if we consider the 8 Hawaiian islands as one whole organism, each island might embody a particular energy and carry a special meaning. We can imagine this just for fun!
The colors of the 8 Hawaiian islands are almost the same as the colors of the 8 main chakras of the body – the enegy centers that have to do with our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Positions of the Big Island (at the base of the spine), Maui (in the center of the body), Kauai (the forehead) and Ni’ihau (above the head) – corespond very well to the positions of the Root, Heart, Crown and Soul chakras. The other 4 islands are not in the exact order.
The 3 lower chakras in the body govern the basic and physical needs.
1. Root chakra – Red. BIG ISLAND. Body location – at the base of the spine. It’s associated with the security and survival, earth element.
2. Sacral chakra – Orange. LANAI. Body location – just below the navel. It’s associated with creativity and desires, water element.
3. Solar plexus chakra – Yellow. OAHU. Body location – solar plaxus. It’s associated with willpower and action, fire element.
4. Heart chakra – Green. MAUI (the ROSE color of Maui also works well for the Heart chakra). Body location – heart center. It’s associated with love, comassion and forgiveness. The Heart chakra is the balance point in the body between the 3 lower physical chakras and 3 upper spiritual ones. If Maui is seen as a shape of a woman whose chest is Kihei-Wailea area, then the summit of Haleakala is exactly her heart center.
The 3 upper chakras in the body govern the mental, emotional and spiritual needs.
5. Throat chakra – Light Blue. KAHOOLAWE (the GREY color of Kahoolawe approximates it well). Body location – the throat. It’s associated with ability to listen and to express authentically. I can imagine positive things happening in Hawaii when this chakra gets unblocked.
6. Third Eye chakra – Indigo Blue. MOLOKAI. Never mind that Molokai’s color is green – Molokai is extremely well suited for the “third eye” role as “the Most Hawaiian island”, where aloha spirit is the way of everyday life. So, imagine the green eye of Molokai opening and smiling! Body location – between the eyebrows. It’s associated with wisdom, inuition and understanding one’s purpose.
7. Crown chakra – Purple. KAUAI. Body location – crown of the head. It’s associated with spiritual connection to yourself, others, and the universe.
8. Soul Star chakra – White. NI’IHAU. Location – just above the head. It’s associated with transcendence, connecting to your higher self, uniting with the divide, spiritual compassion.
Aloha.
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Dennis Gregory
Dennis Gregory is a long-time writer, he lives in Kona, Hawaii. In 1970 he founded the first literary magazine at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. Since then he has published novels, poetry books and writes a column for the local paper in Kona. He is also anartist and musician.
