Hawaii's biggest hula festival is halting forest gathering of maile, palapalai, and ʻōhiʻa lehua for three years, a win for the forests but a challenge for lei makers.

• Gatherers have been pulling plants out by the roots instead of picking what they need, stripping the forest.
• The pause starts now and runs three years, covering the 2027 festival week in late March.
• ʻŌhiʻa lehua has also been fighting an invasive fungus for years.
• Plants grown on private property are still fine — this is not a ban on using these plants in lei.
• Lei makers say the pause pushes them to experiment with substitutes without losing the meaning of the lei.

Outlook: Expect halau and lei makers to lean on cultivated and alternative plants while the forest recovers.