Marigolds should hold up, they use those for lei in India. Freesia is used as a cut flower, so probably has reasonable lasting quality. Don't Four O'clocks fold up? Probably not your best bet, and I think Cannas kind of fall apart. Flowering Tobacco, I don't know.

What about Ola'a Beauty (Torenia)? It's an annual, likes shade, I don't know when it would be blooming in Texas, but they make gorgeous lei! Can you grow Pentas? Good for haku. Bozu (Gomphrena) is good 'cause it lasts forever. Cigar Flower (Cuphea) is great, but you need plenty!

Malama pono.

Thanks, I figured that flowers that dry well would be OK for lei. I did a little more searching and found a website with pictures of Lei Day competition entries. I saw a few leis with freesia and pentas and one with cannas.

Marigolds smell, so having them around your neck wouldn't be too good.

Carnations get used for leis a lot, as well as rosebuds and they smell much better than marigolds! Can you get any of the jasmine or gardenia?

I haven't a clue when these would bloom on the mainland, though.

yes, we have J. sambac and gardenia. They both bloom nearly year 'round.

I was just reading that back in the Philippines, they make leis out of J. sambac (sampaguita) and give them on special occasions; I was wondering if they had their own version of leis and I guess they do.

I was also wondering if oleander would work. But I'll need lots and lots of flowers because we're having a graduation lu'au in May.

I've found that false pikake (clerodendrum chinensis) is the #1 best plant to grow here in Sarasota (Fl). It's rather invasive and launched itself across my backyard. It jumped into the ground from the bottom of a a 3 gallon pot. The leaves stink but the flowers have a cinnamon/carnation scent. Makes great leis!
kevin

This is a late entry but it will be good for next year.
There is a variety of oleander that is being developed for lei making but I doubt oleander whould be in bloom in your area in May.
Not all marigolds stink. There is a variety called Hawaii delevoped just for lei making that I beleive is scentless.
How about sweet peas or honeysuckle?
There are flowers that produce lots of florets on tall stalks, like snap dragons, glads, delphiniums, lupins, tuberoses and campulas that could be used.
Although it is a bit delicate bouganivillia is used in Hawaii.
Windmill jasmine makes a nice small lei so how about star jasmine,pink jasmine or Carolina jasmine, they produce copious flowers.
Globe amuranthus (both the large and the mini)is an annual that makes great leis and dries well too.
Making, wearing and giving garlands of flowers, leaves, seeds, shells or feathers on special occations or to honor special people has a long history in Asia from India (where it probally started) through South East Asia and Indonesia all the way into the Pacific from The Phillipines, Micronesia and Hawaii, southward to Tahiti.

Actually, all of the oleander are in full bloom right now, you can hardly see the leaves there are so many flowers. I hope there will still be some blooms left by the 29th.

Once Oleander starts blooming they bloom all summer.

Aloha - I would like to learn more about the marigolds that can be grown in Hawaii - and there is mention in this discussion of an unscented variety being developed for leis. Mahalo

Here is a link that might be useful: Heritage Ranch non profit ed org

I am looking for cigar flower plants "red and white>