'Änuenue School in Pälolo has a very nice Hawaiian garden, and I was happy to see an old favorite Hawaiian plant growing there. It was flowering beautifully and its unique-colored lavender blossoms and delicate petals were striking.

Akiohala, a kind of hibiscus now called Hibiscus furcellatus by scientists, is also known as native pink or lavender hibiscus and hau hele. It has heart-shaped leaves.

The pretty native can be perpetuated by growing it from seeds, cuttings or air layers. Seeds are the easiest, and most fun for keiki to grow. However, the seed pods have some bristly hairs on them, so handle with caution when harvesting.

Akiohala likes a nice, moist organic soil, or a wet boggy place. Grow it on the edge of the loi kalo (taro patch) or plant it at the bottom of a hill where the rain gathers. If you grow it in a dry area, prepare a good, rich planting site by adding organics.

The organics can be as simple and cheap as raking up monkeypod or lychee leaves and keeping the root zone of the akiohala nicely mulched and its top dressed with leaves. Water it regularly.

It will flower better in full sun. "Wet feet and hot head" is an easy way to remember what this Hawaiian plant needs to thrive and beautifully bloom in your garden — a moist root zone and full sun for flowers.

When we first started planting out the botanical collection at Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden, this was one of about seven native Hawaiian plants that grew on the land. Akiohala grew in the wet boggy area of the garden. Since then, more water wells have been dug in the mauka lands, and the H-3 Freeway was built, which cut off water and caused the area to dry up. It no longer grows prolifically at Hoomaluhia.

But the old favorite hibiscus was there in 'Änuenue School. School gardens are an asset and we can all kokua a bit at neighborhood public schools, where gardens add to the educational benefit. Gardens are like keiki. They need 'akamai focus and attention to detail.