Hui Kū Maoli Ola Native Hawaiian Plant Specialists — Local services in Oʻahu

Be warned that there is a ferocious, unleashed dog here that attacked our service dog and then we were denied entry.

We went here after my husband and I were given a gift certificate as a wedding present. We have a huge garden and are working in one area on native reforestation, so this seemed like the perfect gift for us.

We came here with our dog, who is a service dog for my husband who has epilepsy. Upon arrival, we said hi to the first employee we saw. The employee noticed our dog and said they had a dog on the property who doesn't like other dogs, and asked us to put our dog in the car.

We immediately turned around to leave, and as we were walking back to the car -- only about 10 feet away -- the other dog lunged at our dog, put her jaws around her neck, and bit her.

This other dog was literally bigger than me -- the dog was a bullmastiff/pitbull mix and I'm about 105 lbs and 5'4" -- but none of the employees were helping, so I made a split second decision to intervene and I wrestled the vicious dog off of mine.

My husband grabbed our dog and we scrambled back to the car. Our dog was scared, shaking, and had about 5 bleeding puncture wounds on her neck around her throat, but overall I am thankful it wasn't a lot worse and that my dog is still alive and I was not mauled.

Our dog is a service dog and it's illegal to deny us entry to their establishment. We pointed out that our dog is a service dog, which they clearly didn't care about. It's also unsafe to have a dog that you know attacks without warning on your business property without a leash. We asked why they didn't have their dog on a leash and it was clear they didn't care their dog has just attacked our dog, and refused to leash it.

Even though we had the law on our side, we decided it was best to just leave and never come back. Since we couldn't buy any plants and weren't planning on coming back, we asked to exchange the gift certificate for cash but they said that wasn't possible.

Be warned that there is a ferocious dog here and they don't care about protecting...

I recently visited Hui Kū Maoli Ola Plant Nursery as a first-time customer. They have a lovely selection of plants, and the staff initially made a warm, friendly impression. Unfortunately, the visit took a very negative turn when an older gentleman suddenly came out of the office and began shouting and using inappropriate, offensive language. I later learned he was one of the owners, Rick. I’ve never experienced that kind of behavior in a professional setting before, and it left me shocked and uncomfortable. Because of this, I don’t feel I can support a business whose leadership displays such poor manners and lack of social courtesy. Has anyone else observed similar incidents with this company’s ownership? I’m even considering filing a report with the appropriate authorities, as I truly felt the situation crossed a line. For anyone looking for a pleasant experience with native plants, I recommend Maoli Farms in Kailua — they provide a genuinely welcoming atmosphere along with beautiful selections. Mahalo nui loa for supporting our local businesses that...

I live part-time in Hilo and on the mainland. I visit this place once or twice a year. There are a few problems with this place; first, I look like a white guy, but I'm primarily Hawaiian, and they just never seemed that friendly; I've always got the sense that it's because I look colonial. The next issue is they paint the picture that the native plants belong to Hawaiians when they DON’T! They don't belong to anyone; the native plants of Hawaii, like anywhere else, were there long before any Humans showed up. They belong to the place, not the people. I agree that it's essential to landscape with, propagate, and preserve the unique and beautiful flora of the islands, especially with so many endangered plants. Learning the Latin and Hawaiian names of the plants is essential, and you should do your homework before you go, as they will condescendingly correct you if you mispronounce something. All things considered, it’s a great place to visit that is doing important work; just know what you’re in for...