Everything You Need to Know About Maui’s Sunflower Fields in Maalaea
Name two things that spark joy. I’ll start: Maui and sunflower fields. Put the two together, and you’ve got a recipe for happiness.
Maui’s largest sunflower field is located between Maalaea and Waikapu, with 200 acres of pure joy perfectly positioned off Kuihelani Highway. In bloom season, commuters en route to and from West Maui are afforded picture-perfect views of the sunflower field, which appears as a sea of vibrant yellow against the backdrop of the West Maui Mountains.
The field is one of the island’s most picturesque roadside attractions. But seeing the sunflowers in their blooming glory requires a little luck — or some seriously savvy planning. Here’s everything you need to know about Maui’s sunflower fields.
First Off — Safety and Access
If you were hoping to get an epic shot of you in the Maui sunflower field, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. The sunflower fields are on private property, and you’ll notice several no-trespassing signs (and probably a few people who ignore the signs, too).
Unfortunately, the field became noticeably trampled over and mistreated after the first bloom in 2017. Stalks were broken, and some people were even caught cutting and stealing the flowers! Pacific Biodiesel — the owner of the sunflower farm — was forced to put up no trespassing signs. It’s always a bummer when a few bad apples ruin it for everyone else.
The first few blooms caused a traffic hazard on Kuihelani Highway, too. The highway became a mess with cars trying to park, people darting across the road, and cars pulling out blindly in front of others. There was a lot of hard braking on Kuihelani during this time — a disaster waiting to happen. Thus, the county put up a row of ‘No Parking’ signs along the field.
We recommend enjoying the beauty of the sunflower fields while driving by. Although typically, those who pull over to snap a quick photo don’t cause a problem — as long as they do so safely and responsibly.
If you are dreaming about seeing sunflowers up close, you can call the Maui Tropical Plantation to check if their sunflower field is blooming. Another option is to plan your visit around Pacific Biodiesel’s sunflower music festival, which allows public access into the field and usually takes place around Earth Day in April.
When Do The Flowers Bloom?
Well, it can be hard to predict. The timing of the blooms depends on when the crop was planted. Pacific Biodiesel times their planting so that the flowers bloom for the festival in April — so you are guaranteed to see the blooms then. Other reports say you can see them blooming around Christmas time as well.
The flowers typically bloom for 10-15 days, 75 days after planting. They are harvested at 110 days, and a new crop is planted a month after harvesting. If you get word of a bloom on Maui, you can try to predict the next crop’s bloom based on these figures.
Where Is The Sunflower Field Located?
The sunflower field encompasses 200 acres between Kuihelani Highway and Honoapiilani Highway — between the towns of Maalaea and Waikapu, about 15 minutes from Kahului Airport, 20 minutes from Kihei, and 30 mins from Lahaina. Since sunflowers typically face east, they’re best viewed from Kuihelani Highway on the eastern side of the field.
Who Planted The Sunflower Field?
The story behind the Maui sunflower field is actually pretty neat. It was planted in 2017 by Pacific Biodiesel — America’s longest-running biodiesel company. The sunflowers are a biofuel crop, and the field is Hawaii’s largest biofuel crop project. The sunflowers are also used to make beauty products, cattle feed, and sunflower oil, which is used in dishes in some of Maui’s best restaurants.
Next time you drive by, you can appreciate the sunflowers’ purpose a little more or impress your travel companions with their backstory.
Mahalo for reading! We hope you experience the joy of Maui’s sunflowers in bloom soon.
A hui hou!
