Osteomeles anthyllidifolia

Common Names

Ulei, Eluehe, Hawaiian Hawthorn, Hawaiian Rose, U'ulei, ʻŪlei, ʻUlei

Summary

Indigenous to Hawaiʻi, this evergreen shrub forms a single-stem to spreading plant up to 3 m tall, with many-branched stems and glossy, compound leaves consisting of 15–25 leaflets; leaflets are oblong-elliptic, 0.8–2.3 cm long and 0.3–0.7 cm wide, with upper surfaces reticulate and glossy and lower surfaces strigose, and inflorescences are cymes of 3–6 bearing white, mildly fragrant petals 7–11 mm long; fruit is white and subglobose about 10 mm in diameter with yellow seeds, blooms occur in spring, and the plant can resprout from stem bases after fires, occupying coastal cliffs, open lava fields, dry shrublands, and dry to mesic forests from sea level to 2,320 m.

Cultivation and practical aspects: thrives in full sun to partial shade with well-drained soils and a pH range of 5.5–7.0, is drought-tolerant and tolerant of heat, wind, and salt spray, and is commonly used as a windbreak, hedge, ground cover, screen, or container plant with a spacing of about 3–5 ft; propagation is by seed or cuttings, with seeds germinating in 2–6 months and 5–30% viability, storage best at ~39°F and RH ≤10%, and cuttings taken in early spring and rooted in roughly 3 months; edible fruit and lei materials are among its traditional and modern uses, wood has been used for digging sticks and spears, and the plant is hardy to about Zone 10b.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

8 ft 2 in-13 ft 1 in

Spread

4-10 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 9-11, marginal in 8b with protection

Sunlight Requirements

Full sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil of any texture (coarse to fine) with a pH of 6.0–7.8.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil.

Soil pH

6.1-7.0

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

No fall color

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Slow

Seasons of Interest

Spring

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees