Hawaiian Lei—A Floriculture Design Lab

Hawaiian lei have become a popular congratulatory token during graduation ceremonies at universities across the Mainland. While the most common style features flowers strung through the center of the flower or crosswise through the calyx, there are also other lei making methods which utilizes tying, braiding, twisting or sewing the plant materials together. These latter styles are reminiscent of the old wrist corsages with tightly bunched foliage and flowers. In Hawaii, lei are common adornments given to honor a person during special occasions such as anniversaries, graduations, weddings and welcome/send-off parties or used in celebrations such as Aloha Fridays, hula competitions and other events. Design competitions are held every first of May to choose the best lei; in these, all flowers and foliage must be identified. Different styles such as haku (arranged in a braid), hili (tight braid or plait), kui (strung; kui poepoe – strung crosswise), kipu’u (knotted loosely), wili (twisted, wound, wrapped), and humu-papa (sewn to a backing) are featured with perhaps up to twenty different flowers, flower parts, foliage, seeds and seed pods. Since lei components are not limited to tropicals, many temperate plants can also be used in lei-making in a floral design class. This poster shows examples of the different lei styles, the portions of lei identifying methods as well as the typical plant materials used in lei making. It also provides a video link to an actual laboratory class which incorporated lei making in an introductory ornamental horticulture course.