Vaccinium reticulatum
endemicEricaceae

Vaccinium reticulatum

'ohelo 'ai

Endemic to Hawaiʻinative

Found naturally nowhere else on Earth.

Vaccinium reticulatum, known as ʻŌhelo ʻai in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the heather family, Ericaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It grows at altitudes of 640–3,700 m (2,100–12,140 ft) on lava flows and freshly disturbed volcanic ash on Maui and Hawaiʻi, and less commonly on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Molokaʻi. Adaptations to volcanic activity include the ability to survive ash falls of over 25 cm (9.8 in) depth.

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Seasonality
58 flowering · 93 fruiting annotations · iNaturalist · fetched Jul 2026
JFMAMJJASONDpeak
flowering (peak June) fruiting (peak December)

This is an inference, not a schedule. The curve reflects when observers annotated flowering and fruiting — which tracks observer effort as well as plant behavior, and pools all elevations and islands into one signal. Hawaiʻi’s microclimates vary enormously; a species may fruit in January at sea level and June at elevation. Use this to know when to look, then look.

Gallery · 4 · iNaturalist
open-licensed photos · click any to view its source
Where documented · 25 ahupuaʻa
documented occurrences · iNaturalist + GBIF · iNaturalist 200 · GBIF 300 records
Keauhou · HawaiʻiiNat 76 · GBIF 136
Kalialinui · MauiiNat 50 · GBIF 52
Waiākea · HawaiʻiiNat 29 · GBIF 34
ʻĀpua · HawaiʻiiNat 9 · GBIF 13
Pāpaʻikou · HawaiʻiiNat 11 · GBIF 10
Humuʻula · HawaiʻiiNat 10 · GBIF 8
Kapāpala · HawaiʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 12
Kaʻohe Mauka · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 7
Piʻihonua · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 6
Nuʻu · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 4
Pānauinui · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 4
Kahuku · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 2
ʻŌmaʻopio · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1