Kīkā (Cigar)

The tiny tube-like cigar (Cuphea ignea) flowers originate from a small Mexican shrub and earned the name because of the flowers’ resemblance of a lit cigar. These flowers are multicolored with reds, yellows, and oranges being common while some contain dark pink. They have no scent. The cigar flower lei is made with a rope-style kui that uses about 2,000 of these tiny flowers to create the full look of the lei. The lei are known for their hardy nature and are often given to males.