Kona's Native Hawaiian Flowers - Maiapilo

Maiapilo (Capparis sandwichiana), the native caper, is an endemic species and is considered "vulnerable" - likely to become endangered in the near future. It is found in scattered locations on coral, basalt, or rocky soil along the coast or slightly inland. It occurs at elevations from sea level to 325 feet on all of the main Hawaiian islands and on Midway Atoll, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and Laysan. It is considered "vulnerable" - likely to become endangered in the near future.

Maiapilo blooms with gorgeous white flowers in the early evening. In the morning, if you get up early, there are still fresh-looking, subtly perfumed white flowers with feathery masses of stamens coiling out from the flower.

As the day warms up, the flowers fade to pink, and if they've been pollinated, fruits start to form. The fruits are about the size of a small banana and turn orange when fully ripe.