The name means ten cent flower, from the 1930s when a puakenikeni lei cost a dime, about what two loaves of bread ran at the time.
The Basics
Puakenikeni, Fagraea berteroana, is a fragrant flowering tree in the family Gentianaceae.
Origin and Habitat
Native to the Pacific Islands, widely planted in Hawaii as a beloved backyard tree.
What It Looks Like
A tree with waxy, star-shaped flowers that shift from white to deep orange-yellow as they age, carrying a strong, heavenly fragrance the whole time.
Uses and Flavor
Not a food tree — grown entirely for the flowers, which are prized for making lei.
Growing It Here
A popular backyard tree in Hawaii, planted just upwind of the house on purpose so the fragrance carries. I planted a second one once after nearly forgetting to plant anything that day, remembered halfway to a friend’s house, and got it in the ground once we got home.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Nothing to report so far.
Kenta’s Take
Planting it upwind on purpose so the whole house gets the fragrance is one of the more deliberate design choices in this whole food forest, right up there with why we planted the rainbow shower tree where we did.