‘Akala (Rubus macraei) is a native Hawaiian raspberry. It’s unusual for its large edible berries and slightly thorny stems. Most Hawaiian native plants didn’t need such lures or defenses because there were no grazing animals in Hawaii until their introduction by humans.
The berries are larger than non-native blackberries, but less sweet, and their juice was used as a dye in days gone by.
A bee flies towards a Japanese Aloe flower and then lands to gather the good stuff within.
One of my favorite places at Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden is Lily Lake. Surrounded by tropical foliage, the lake offers a bounty of reflections, such as this one.
This anthurium positively glowed in a little patch of sunlight.
Kamani is a canoe plant, brought to Hawaii by early Polynesian settlers, though it grows naturally across most of the Pacific islands. Its common name is Alexandrian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum).
The wood of the tree was used for canoe building, homes, containers, and food bowls, and the fragrant flowers are popular with bees.
A Fiery Skipper butterfly feeds on a Madagascar Ragwort flower. Both are introduced species and the flower is something of an invasive weed.
Rattlesnake plant (Calathea Crotalifera) is native to Central and South America. This one was at Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, but it also grows in the wild in some places here.
For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.
Neoregelia carolinae is known as the blushing bromeliad because, when it’s going to flower, the center turns red, as this one has done.
Graham's Island 