Hawaii's classic beach shrub spotted thriving at a Kauai harbor
iNaturalist: jeremypmccann
Native Plants
If you've ever walked a Hawaiian beach and noticed a shrub with half-moon-shaped white flowers and thick, waxy leaves, that's beach naupaka, and sightings like this one help researchers track how well this dune-stabilizing native is holding its ground against coastal development.
Someone out exploring near Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai spotted and photographed beach naupaka, a shrub famous in Hawaiian folklore for its oddly shaped, half-flower blooms. The sighting was verified by other naturalists and logged as research-grade, meaning scientists can trust the location and identification. It's a small but useful data point for understanding where this coastal plant still grows wild.
Key Findings
Observation location: Nawiliwili, Lihue, Hawaii (coastal harbor area on Kauai)
Species identified: Scaevola taccada (beach naupaka), confirmed to research-grade status via community verification
Record contributes to public biodiversity data on native Hawaiian shoreline flora
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist confirmed a sighting of beach naupaka, a common Hawaiian coastal shrub, growing at Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai. The observation adds to public biodiversity records that help track where this native shoreline plant thrives.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
beach naupaka (Scaevola taccada) observed in Nawiliwili, Lihue, HI 96766, USA
Research-grade observation of beach naupaka in Nawiliwili, Lihue, HI 96766, USA.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Scaevola taccada, also known as beach cabbage, sea lettuce, or beach naupaka, is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae found in mangrove swamps and rocky or sandy coastal locations in the tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific. It is a common beach shrub throughout the Arabian Sea, the tropica...