'Oohai

I also planted an 'Oohai (Sesbania tomentosa) in the back yard.  The 'Oohai is endemic to Hawai'i and is federally endangered; there are only 2,000 - 3,000 in the wild.  Today when I got home I noticed the plant had bloomed!  They have grey-green leaves and before the flowers open they are white, but after opening they are bright red.

In this closeup you can see a white bud to the left behind the red bloom on the right.  If they form seed pods I will try to collect and germinate the seeds.  Like the Nanea in the last post these are also Fabaceae (bean family) plants.  However, I have no idea if they are edible or not.  Another plant in the same genus, the rattlebox (Sesbania drummondii) found from Texas to Florida, is poisonous to livestock; however, danchi flowers (Sesbania bispinosa) are eaten as a vegetable in Thai and Vietnamese cooking.