Pua Kalaunu
Scientific Name: Calotropis gigantea
Common Name: Crown Flower
Natural Setting / Location: native to India and the East Indies
The Crown Flower was the favorite flower of Queen Liliʻuokalani. It was given its name because when the blossom's petals roll back they expose what looks like a small crown. There are purple and white colored varieties of crown flower, both of which can be used in lei kui. Sometimes the petals are kept on and sometimes they are removed. They have no fragrance, so it makes for an ideal lei for those sensitive to smell.
Introduced to Hawaiʻi during the monarchy, it came to represent royalty (purple, crown). White crown flower also represents royalty - frequently used in bridal lei because of its association with purity and “queen for the day.” Sometimes crown flower lei are used in weddings as a pīkake look-alike when pīkake aren’t blooming.
