Sept. 4, 2011-Flowers of Hawaii

In early May, on our way home from New Zealand, Diana and I stopped on the Big Island of Hawaii for a few days. Here are some of the flowers we saw.

This is a Bird of Paradise flower. The plant is native to South Africa but seems to do exceptionally well in Hawaii. The plant grows to 3 – 4 feet tall. The flowers appear on separate stalks that are just as tall as the rest of the plant. You might be surprised to learn it is closely related to the banana plant.

BirdParadiseBigIsland20110505

Nanahonua, the Hawaiian name for the Angel’s Trumpet plant, means “gazing downward.” That’s an appropriate name because all of the 10-inch flowers on this fast growing shrub hang with the open end down. The flowers produce a sweet-smelling perfume at night. However, all parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten. Angel’s Trumpet is a native of South America and was brought to Hawaii as early as 1825

Angel'sTrumpetKalokoDriveBigIsland20110505

Hawaii’s five native Hibiscus flowers have been crossed with over thirty non-native Hibiscus species to produce thousands of varieties of this popular bloom. This yellow one was photographed at the condo complex where we stayed.

HibiscusyellowOutriggercondoKona20110505

This Ke’anae Heliconia was growing right outside the condo where we stayed. More than 20 varieties of Heliconia have been brought to Hawaii from their native jungle habitat in South America. Some produce spectacular branches of large, colorful bracts which are popular in cut flower arrangements.

Ke'anaeheliconiaOutriggercondoKona20110501

The Ohi’a Lehua is the official flower of the Big Island of Hawaii. The Ohi’a tree is the dominant species in a true Hawaiian rainforest. It is the first tree to appear after a lava flow. The flowers produce honey which is a favorite food of the I’iwi bird, the bright red bird with the curved bill. This bird is one of the most sought after species for birders who go to Hawaii. Here’s a link to an I’iwi photo on my web site. http://www.earlorfphotos.com/Hawaii-Trip-Oct-Nov-2009/Hawaii-Trip-Birds/10441241_BGQTGC#724115181_zTum2

OhiaflowerVolcanoe20110502

This is a Pentas flower. I’ve read that it is a great flower for attracting butterflies.

PentasBigIsland20110505

I’m not sure what this vine is called. I originally had it labeled as a Scarlet Jade Vine, but it doesn’t seem to match the photos of that plant on the web. So, if anyone knows what it is, I’d love to have you tell me.

ScarletJadeVineBigIsland20110505

This is the flower of the Plumeria plant. They are grown commercially and are especially good for stringing together into leis.

PlumeriaKonaBigIsland20110501

Several different varieties of Plumeria are grown in Hawaii. Here is a colorful red and yellow one

PlumeriaKonaBigIsland20110501