You cannot go anywhere in Hawaii, and especially on the Big Island, without seeing these beautiful flowers. They come in many colors and varieties—over 200—and on both shrubs and trees. Attached to this review are several that we saw during our travels around the Big Island. What was really surprising was to find hibiscus just growing in the wild, along the roads as you venture out into the countryside.
Out at Kona Joe's they had a lovely garden area with many different types of flowers including hibiscus. Many yards in and around Hilo also had plenty of hibiscus plants. At other public locations, we saw several large shrubs covered in flowers. At our timeshare property, there were several of the yellow variety. Amazingly, you would see the buds closed one day and the next, they would bloom into a gorgeous large flower.
What many might not know is that the extract of hibiscus is known to have medicinal uses for such ailments as constipation, nausea, and bladder infections. Scientists in Taiwan are studying the effect on lowering LDL cholesterol and reducing heart disease.
Enjoy the photos I've attached to this review. I especially loved the purple ones with the white centers. Their fluted edges and the contrasting colors really made them stand out as exceptional.
If you love the hibiscus enough to want to take a plant home with you, there are several places around Hawaii where you can order them and have them shipped home. For me, I settled on a nice pair of earrings to match my Hawaiian floral dress. All of the local stores carry hibiscus jewelry...even the local ABC Store on just about every corner of every island of Hawaii.