Emblems of Hawaii a surprise to many Americans

The following article from The San Francisco Chronicle is provided compliments of Designs 'N Gold to help commemorate the State of Hawaii's 50th anniversary of becoming a State.

The 50th anniversary of Hawaii's statehood, which became official on Aug. 21, 1959, is a cause for celebration for many — although not so much for those seeking to restore Native Hawaiian sovereignty. But leaving aside thorny political issues, the islands' state symbols can shed insight into the Aloha State's distinctive identity and sensitive environment. You might have guessed that hula is the official state dance, surfing the official individual sport (outrigger canoe paddling holds the team title) and the humuhumunukunukuapua'a the official fish. But how many of these other state emblems — and their back story — do you know?
State flower: The yellow hibiscus.
Back story: The Territory of Hawaii named the hibiscus, or pua alolo, its official flower in 1923, "no other blossom having so great a variety in color and form" — although a red bloom was usually depicted. The new state government simply kept the signature flower.
Going native: In 1988, the more culturally conscious legislature made a point of designating a unique native species, Hibiscus brackenridgei A. Gray, known in Hawaiian as ma'o hau hele, or "green traveling hau." It's a yellow hibiscus with leaves that turn green when dried.
Closer look: Although hibiscus hedges are ubiquitous in Hawaii, many are showy nonnative species. The state flower, now cultivated at nurseries, is one of the islands' many plants that are endangered in the wild. You can find native hibiscus at many garden preserves, though, including the visitor center at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai.
State bird: Nene (in Hawaiian, nēnē), or Hawaiian goose.
Back story: A distant relative of the Canada goose, Hawaii's Branta sandvicensis was found on nearly all the main islands when the first Polynesians arrived some 1,600 years ago. It's thought the birds' feet evolved to have less webbing to clamber over lava rocks. But by the Europeans' arrival in 1778, only the Big Island was known to be home to nene, and they declined quickly due to hunting, new predators and loss of habitat; by 1952, only an estimated 30 geese survived. The Territorial Legislature named the bird "emblematic" of Hawaii in 1957, and in 1988 it officially became the state bird.
Going native: With the help of the San Diego Zoo, captive-bred nene have been released on the Big Island, Kauai and Maui, in upland national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. On the federal endangered species list since 1967, some 1,800 nene live in the islands today. The most recent reintroduction program began in late 2001 on Molokai.
See for yourself: Kauai's Kilauea Point and Koke'e State Park, Maui's Haleakala National Park and the Big Island's Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park have the largest populations; you might also see some wandering around resorts in Lihue and Princeville, Kauai. Drive carefully, though: Car accidents are a leading cause of adult nene death.
State gem: Black coral.
Back story: Who knew there was such a thing as a state gem? But considering that Maui Divers Jewelry, which also turned 50 this year, created a retail empire out of black coral, the choice is as good as any. In 1958, two divers from Lahaina discovered the rare coral — whose living tissue can be a variety of colors — growing in the deep waters off Molokai. A year later, they opened a shop selling jewelry from the coral's polished black skeleton, and in 1987 legislators dubbed it the state gem. It wasn't until 2009, though, that scientists confirmed that the coral was a distinct species, renaming it Antipathes griggi after a local expert.
Going native: 'Ēkaha kū moana, as it's called in Hawaiian, shares its name with the land-based 'ēkaha, a bird's nest fern; kū moana means "standing in the ocean." Hawaiians traditionally used it to treat sores and lung problems. While Maui Divers harvests below the annual quota of coral for the area, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has said a recently introduced alien pest and increased harvesting "appear to threaten the future stability of the fishery."
See for yourself: Maui Divers recently opened its 52nd store, a "luxury collection," in Waikiki's newly reopened Royal Hawaiian hotel, while Mainland locations include San Francisco and Las Vegas. To see black coral in its pre-gem form, without being a diver, check out reef exhibits at the Waikiki Aquarium and the Maui Ocean Center.
State tree: Kukui (candlenut).
Back story: In 1930, a Territorial governor named the coconut palm (niu) as Hawaii's official tree. Hard to blame him: What would a Hawaii postcard be without a swaying palm on it somewhere? But a few months before Hawaii entered the union, the Legislature voted to make the kukui (Aleurites moluccana) the state tree, citing the "multiplicity of its uses to the ancient Hawaiians" as well as the "distinctive beauty of its light green foliage."
Going native: Neither the coconut nor the kukui tree is truly native, meaning endemic, to Hawaii: The Polynesian voyagers brought both as "canoe plants," which thrived in their new home. But Hawaiian traditions involving kukui — including telling time by the burning of its kernels, making leis from leaves and nuts, and treating digestive ailments with its oil — are particularly rich, including tales of the half-pig demigod Kamapua'a taking the form of a kukui from time to time. While kukui is not endangered, Hawaii's Division of Forestry has planted at least 16,000 throughout the state to protect watersheds.
See for yourself: The tree is common in moist lowland forests, and can easily be spotted en masse as a silvery-green streak on hillsides among darker green foliage. At Maui's Kapalua Resort, the arboretum trail overlooking the Pu'u Kukui Watershed Preserve, for example, reveals a sweeping vista of kukui in the West Maui mountains. Kukui leis can be found everywhere, but Maui's Ka'anapali Beach Hotel is famous for giving guests one that they can restring with a different colored nut upon each return visit.
State mammal: Hawaiian monk seal.
Back story: In 1979 the state chose the humpback whale as its state marine mammal, but technically speaking, Megaptera novaeangliae is only a part-time resident in the isles, spending summers in Alaskan waters, and it's found in oceans all over the world. In contrast, the rare Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is an endemic year-rounder. Legislators gave it state mammal status in 2008 — not too tough a decision, since the Hawaiian hoary bat is the only other native mammal.
Going native: The monk seal's mouthful of a Hawaiian name, 'īlio-holo-i-ka-ua-ua, is akin to "dog running in rough waters." The vast majority of the remaining 1,200 or so seals live in the relatively protected waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, much of which is now a marine natural monument, but their numbers continue to decline. Marine debris, fishing lines and ailing reefs have joined sharks and disease in contributing to the seals' demise. The seal joined the endangered species list in 1976.
Closer look: For a guaranteed sighting, feeding time for the Waikiki Aquarium's two male monk seals is your best bet. But increasingly seals are hauling out at popular beaches, such as Lāwa'i and Po'ipū on Kauai and Hakalau on the Big Island, or spotted swimming off Oahu's Windward Side. To avoid harassing them (and a fine of up to $25,000), stay at least 150 feet away and definitely behind any protective barricades. Check out more viewing guidelines posted by the Kaua'i Monk Seal Watch Program, which hosts a free weekly educational program at the Kauai Sheraton Resort.
State insect: Pulelehua (Kamehameha butterfly)
Back story: The newest of Hawaii's state symbols, selected by legislators in April 2009, didn't have a lot of competition when it came to good looks: Of the thousands of insect species in Hawaii, only two butterflies are native. Similar to the introduced monarch butterfly, the red-orange and black Vanessa tameamea is larger than the native koa butterfly (also called Blackburn's blue).
Going native: In Hawaiian, pulelehua is also a generic term for butterfly, meaning "blown in the air." Both the Kamehameha and monarch butterflies also share the name lepelepe-o-Hina, the goddess Hina's fringe, with a kind of coral and seaweed. While the pulelehua is not officially endangered, the decline in mamaki, a native thornless nettle on which the butterfly lays its eggs, and in koa forests, where it feeds on sap, are a cause for concern.
Closer look: On the Big Island, check out the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, in Captain Cook (12 miles south of Kailua-Kona) or the Kīpukapua'ulu grove within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Ridge trails, such as the 'Aiea Loop in Keaīwa Heiau State Park on Oahu or Waihe'e Ridge on West Maui, may also offer photo ops.
Jeanne Cooper is the former Chronicle Travel Editor and author of SFGate's Hawaii Insider (www.sfgate.com/blogs/hawaiiinsider), a daily blog about Hawaii travel and island culture.