The milo tree (Thespesia populnea) is a canoe plant, brought to Hawaii by the early Polynesians, though it was probably already here before then and so is considered indigenous.
The flowers, which don’t open fully, start out a delicate yellow with red patches at the base, becoming dark pink later. The flowers are followed by green seed capsules which dry to brown.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Auburn.’ See more responses here.
I have to confess that color is not my strong suit, hence some of my clothing choices. So when it came to picking a photo for this theme, I wasn’t sure what color I was looking for. A casual search revealed a lot of different shades loosely covered by that name. In the end, I opted to go with the official RGB color value (165 red, 42 green, 42 blue).
Armed with that information I ditched my original choice of a dirt road, thrilling photo though it is, and opted for this orchid. I’m not sure what kind of orchid it is, but I know for a fact that within those darker areas of the petals are several areas that are officially auburn.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Leaves.’ See more responses here.
This gave me an excuse to post more photos from Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, which is still closed at this time. For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.
Firespike (Odontonema tubaeforme) is the kind of fiery red that catches the eye. A native of Central America, it has the potential to become invasive in areas where it gets established.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Kind.’ See more responses here.
Sonoran carpenter bees are big. They’re the kind that, when I see one, I automatically flinch because I don’t want it to bump in to me and have it leave a bruise. Truth is, they’re pretty docile. This one is a female and has a stinger, but will only use it if provoked. Males are brown and somewhat smaller and don’t have a stinger at all.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Kind.’ See more responses here.
Ohelo ’Ai (Vaccinium reticulatum) is an endemic shrub also known as the Hawaiian blueberry. It’s one of several kinds of native plant adapted to the harsh environment of a volcanic island. This plant was growing on a lava flow off Saddle Road, which is typical here. It does well in disturbed ground above 2,000 feet.
The berries, which are edible, are a food source for nenes, but I really like the delicate flowers and the leaves, which start out as a matching red.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Kind.’ See more responses here.
There are many kinds of orchids, one of which is the phalaenopsis or moth orchid, but there are also many different looks within this one group.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Kind.’ See more responses here.
Clerodendrum inerme is a native of tropical Asia and the Pacific. It thrives in full sun and is salt tolerant so it’s a popular plant for landscaping in coastal areas of Hawaii, though it has the potential to become invasive.
