Hui Ku Maoli Ola

What Hui Ku Maoli Ola does

Hui Ku Maoli Ola is a Kaneohe, Hawaii-based native Hawaiian plant nursery founded in 1999 by Richard (Rick) Barboza and Matthew Schirman. The company propagates and sells a comprehensive catalog of native Hawaiian plants categorized as endemic, indigenous, and Polynesian-introduced species across trees, shrubs, ferns, ground covers, accent plants, and wetland plants. It self-describes as "The World's Largest Native Hawaiian Plant Nursery" and operates from a single headquarters in Kaneohe on Oahu, with distribution reach spanning Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Hawaii Island.

The business operates a hybrid model combining retail plant sales (direct from the Kaneohe nursery, through Home Depot retail stores in Hawaii, and at community events) with professional services including landscape design and installation, habitat restoration, and cultural/landscape consulting. Unit-priced retail plants range from approximately $2.50 to $7.00 per pot, while consulting, restoration, and landscaping engagements are billed per project on multi-year contracts with enterprise clients. The customer base spans government environmental agencies (Department of Health/Waimanalo Watershed), educational institutions (Kamehameha Schools), hospitality (Aulani Disney Resort), commercial properties, and residential homeowners.

Revenue is generated across five streams: one-time plant sales, professional services for landscape and restoration consulting, habitat restoration contracts, landscaping installation and maintenance, and a subscription/recurring plant rental business for events. GTM is sales-led, with an Outside Sales Manager overseeing retail accounts including Home Depot and direct field engagement with government agencies, schools, and resorts for restoration and consulting projects. The team is small (15 employees total) and the company is privately held with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Hui Ku Maoli Ola

Legal name

Hui Ku Maoli Ola

Website

https://hawaiiannativeplants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hui Ku Maoli Ola is a Kaneohe, Hawaii-based native Hawaiian plant nursery that propagates and sells endemic and indigenous plants, providing landscaping, habitat restoration, and consulting services to government agencies, schools, resorts, and residential customers across the Hawaiian Islands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Native Plant Nursery & Landscaping Services

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nursery Production (Woody Ornamentals: Trees, Shrubs, Roses) (AFAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protected Cultivation of Specialty Crops (Orchids, Bonsai, Exotics) (AFAGAHAH), Invasive Species & Weed Management (BPABADAJ)

Keywords

• Native Hawaiian plants
• Habitat restoration services
• Landscaping services
• Nursery plant sales
• Landscape consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Kane'ohe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Plant Sales: Retail sale of native Hawaiian plants including trees, shrubs, ground covers, ferns, and wetland plants. Plants sold at retail outlets and directly through nursery. Individual plant pricing with unit-based sales model.
2. Consulting Services: Landscape and restoration consulting services provided to government agencies, schools, resorts, and private landowners. Includes plant selection, location planning, and ongoing maintenance guidance.
3. Habitat Restoration Services: Habitat restoration services for native Hawaiian ecosystems, including stream rehabilitation and watershed restoration projects
4. Landscaping Services: Landscape installation and maintenance services for residential and commercial properties using native Hawaiian plants
5. Plant Rentals: Rental of Hawaiian plants for events and temporary installations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hui Ku Maoli Ola is a native Hawaiian plant nursery that propagates and sells endemic, indigenous, and Polynesian introduced plant species through its Kane'ohe nursery, Home Depot retail partnerships, and event sales. The company complements its plant offerings with professional landscaping, habitat restoration, and consulting services delivered to government agencies, schools, resorts, and residential customers across Hawaii.

Product overview

Hui Ku Maoli Ola is a native Hawaiian plant nursery offering a comprehensive portfolio centered around native Hawaiian flora. The core offering consists of propagated native Hawaiian plants across multiple categories (trees, shrubs, ferns, ground covers, wetland plants, accent plants), complemented by landscaping services, habitat restoration services, consulting services, plant rentals, and retail outlet distribution. The company positions itself as 'The World's Largest Native Hawaiian Plant Nursery' and operates retail partnerships including Home Depot.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Native Hawaiian Plants

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and flagship.

• Waimanalo Restoration CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssumed management of Waimanalo Restoration Corps for habitat rehabilitation and ongoing maintenance along three sections of stream in Waimanalo. Ongoing partnership supporting substantial native habitat restoration efforts.
• Kamehameha SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHired as cultural landscape consultants for present and future landscaping projects at all school campuses. Long-term consulting relationship for educational institution landscaping needs.
• Department of Health - Waimanalo WatershedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHired by the Department of Health to produce a community-based watershed restoration plan for Waimanalo, funded by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Government partnership for environmental restoration.
• Aulani Disney ResortflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHired by Disney to produce a native and Polynesian introduced plant pallet suitable for the grounds and programs for the Aulani Disney Resort at Ko 'Olina. High-profile hospitality sector partnership.
• Home DepotmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partnership with Home Depot stores in Town and Pearl City, Hawaii. Plants available at retail locations statewide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Proven Winners: Plant brand cooperative that licenses and markets annuals, perennials, and shrubs from a network of licensed growers. Comparable as an adjacent nursery-industry ecosystem player that influences plant retail merchandising, though not a direct competitor in native Hawaiian plants.
• National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG): Tropical plant research, conservation, and education organization operating the Allerton Garden and other sites in Hawaii. Comparable as a Hawaii-based native plant conservation entity, though focused on research and public gardens rather than commercial plant sales.
• Kupu: Hawaii nonprofit focused on youth conservation training and environmental restoration programs across the islands. Comparable as a Hawaii-based ecosystem restoration services provider, though operating on a nonprofit labor model rather than commercial nursery scale.
• SWCA Environmental Consultants: Large U.S. environmental consulting firm offering ecological restoration, habitat management, and natural resource services. Comparable as an environmental restoration services provider that competes for government and institutional habitat restoration contracts, though at much larger scale and broader geographic scope.

Broad incumbents

• Home Depot Garden Centers: Largest U.S. home improvement retailer with garden centers selling plants alongside building materials and hardware. Comparable as the primary retail distribution channel for Hui Ku Maoli Ola, with overlapping plant assortment but vastly broader category scope.
• Bailey Nurseries: Large Midwest-based wholesale nursery supplying independent garden centers and landscape professionals across North America. Comparable as a propagation-focused nursery operator, though serving mainstream temperate-climate ornamentals rather than Hawaiian natives.
• Lowe's Garden Centers: Major U.S. home improvement chain with garden centers offering nursery stock and landscaping supplies nationwide. Comparable as a parallel big-box plant retailer that competes for consumer landscaping dollars, though not present as a Hui Ku Maoli Ola channel partner in Hawaii.
• Armstrong Garden Centers: Long-established California-based garden center chain selling ornamental and landscape plants plus supplies to consumers and landscapers. Comparable as a plant retail channel, though its assortment is broad and non-Hawaiian-specific rather than native-plant focused.
• Monrovia Nursery Company: Large U.S. wholesale grower of ornamental shrubs, trees, and perennials sold through independent garden centers and big-box retailers. Comparable as a plant propagation and wholesale nursery supplier, though focused on mainstream ornamentals rather than native Hawaiian species.

Regional players

• Maui Nui Botanical Gardens: Maui-based nonprofit botanical garden focused on conservation of Hawaiian native plants and cultural demonstration gardens. Comparable as a Hawaii-focused native plant conservation and education organization, though operating as a nonprofit rather than a commercial nursery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HuiKuMaoliOla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HuiKuMaoliOla
• Facebookfacebook.com/438453969541729
• Pinterestpinterest.com/huikumaoliola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hui-ku-maoli-ola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hui Ku Maoli Ola