Background of the Kukui Nut Tree in Hawaii The official state tree of Hawaii is the kukui nut tree or kukui tree. It’s known elsewhere as the candlenut tree. Historians consider the kukui nut tree in Hawaii as one of a number of “canoe plants.” This because the Polynesians brought such seeds with them in canoes when they first came to Hawaii. The kukui nut tree in Hawaii has large light-green leaves. It can grow up to 80 feet in … Continue reading The Kukui Nut Tree in Hawaii