Niʻihau Lobelia

Niʻihau lobelia (Lobelia niihauensis) is a Hawaiian native shrub that grows in the wet tropical biome. Its documented range includes Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu, making it a species for appropriately situated native-plant or conservation collections rather than a general-purpose temperate bed. ## Natural history The [Kew Plants of the World Online account](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:143596-1/general-information) records the species as a shrub native to the Hawaiian Islands and growing primarily in the wet tropical biome. The [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service species account](https://www.fws.gov/apps/species/niihau-lobelia-lobelia-niihauensis) describes its prostrate, branched form, with leaf rosettes at shoot tips and magenta flowers grouped at branch ends. Use documented, cultivated material in appropriate conservation settings rather than collecting from the wild. ## Maintenance This wet-tropical species needs conditions unlike a typical dry or temperate garden. In a specialist collection, follow current Hawaiʻi native-plant propagation guidance for irrigation, substrate, and propagation, and keep the plant’s provenance documented.