NA LEI

 

Vanda Lei

The vanda lei, as it is commonly called, is one of the two leis that made its debut at the island wide lei contest in Honolulu.  Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' first appeared in a lei created for the contest by some unknown person for Herbert Shipman, orchid grower from Hilo, in 1938. It won a second prize in the lavender division.  It appeared again in 1947 and 1950, two Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' leis made by Mrs. Woodrow Lee of Lunalilo Home Road won the grand prize.  Each of the two leis were strung differently.  In both leis the light lavender petals of the vanda were removed leaving only the darker lavender, yellow tinted center and broad fan-shaped lip.  In one lei, these parts of the blossoms were strung through the spurs and the lips wee arranged first one on the right and then one on the left or two on the right and two on the left.  The pattern was repeated.  The finished lei resembled the lavender lei maunaloa and because of this resemblance, today it is mistakenly called "maunaloa lei."  In the second lei the parts of the blossoms were strung through the spurs again, but the lips were arranged all on one side of the lei.  The first of these two methods of stringing the Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' is the most popular today.  The vanda is also strung with all of its petals intact and is called "single vanda lei."  Sometimes the cast-a-way petals are strung together.  Other times the light lavender petals and the dark lavender lip are all turn off and cast aside and only the centers are strung.
The Vanda lei like the lei poni-mo'i and lei pikake are leis which are most often purchased from florists and lei sellers rather than made at home because great numbers of flowers are necessary or special growing conditions are needed to produce the great number of flowers needed for one lei.
Although the kui method is the usual one to make this lei, sometimes vandas are used with other materials in the lei wili.

Reference: Ka Lei, The Leis of Hawaii by Marie A. McDonald