By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Robert Cazimero's non-floral lei, from the outside in:
Niihau shells, koa beads with soap seeds, orange paper,
purple silk and a short twist of koa beads.

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You don’t need
flowers to say
aloha

As Lei Day approaches,
a Cazimero brother advocates
giving the native flora
a break

By John Berger
Special to the Star-Bulletin

The Merrie Monarch and other hula festivals put pressure on wild growing plants as dancers gather blossoms, leaves and vines to prepare their costumes. So does the island prom season. And right in the middle of everything comes May Day and the annual Brothers Cazimero extravaganza at the Waikiki Shell.

Robert Cazimero suggests that to curb over-picking for May Day, lei wearers consider alternatives to rare flowers and vines.

One of the alternatives is a paper lei, Cazimero says. "The paper flowers from Lanakila Crafts are beautiful and they add a touch of nostalgia. ... There are the cut-out construction paper flowers with straws between that kids make if you want to be fun and cutesy, or you can even string Cheerios into leis, and there's always yarn and stuff."

And although islanders often dismiss the plumeria as the lowly "graveyard flower," it is also an excellent choice, he says.

"It's accessible, it's cheap, it's beautiful, and you can do tremendous things with it."

Cazimero also suggests that lei lovers experiment with koa beads, various seeds, kukui nuts, braided ti leaves and shell leis, pointing out that flower leis are short-lived but these others can be worn again -- and become cherished family heirlooms.

These ideas can't be adopted too soon to ease demand for the hard-pressed maile.

Cazimero emphasizes that native-Hawaiian gathering rights are not negotiable, and there will always be times when halau must use rare items in quantity for cultural or competitive reasons.

"In the case of Merrie Monarch I don't think you can stray from the traditional because that's what they're striving for, but maybe you can slim the leis down a little and use less."

The Brothers Cazimero

May Day concert: 7:30 p.m., tomorrow; gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Place: Waikiki Shell
Tickets: $23.50 reserved, $17 general at Blaisdell box office or the Connection
Call: 545-4000