Beautiful tropical flowers delight the senses on Big Island, and play a continuing role in Hawaiian culture. Women do indeed sport flowers in their hair, a flower tucked behind the left ear if you're taken (the same side as a wedding ring), and the right if you're single.
The lei, that "touristy" token of welcome is not actually touristy at all. In fact, families still make lei for their friends and family for special occasions, using nearby flowers strung together with dental floss. Pictured here is plumeria, also known as frangipane, a fragrant flower that holds up well in lei. Hibiscus is the state flower but it's prettiest when unplucked because it wilts upon picking.
Photo by: Amelia
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