Category Archives: Flowers

Bugs

A Bee on a Maiapilo flower

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Summer Bugs.’ (See more responses here.) To the best of my knowledge, Hawaii’s bugs are pretty much the same year-round. Here are some of them.

The top photo shows a bee showing impressive balance on a maiapilo flower.

Next up, clockwise from top left: Getting down to eye level with a juvenile praying mantis. A painted lady butterfly on a kiawe tree. A katydid wondering what it’s done to deserve this much attention. A seven-spotted lady beetle being watched.

  • A juvenile praying mantis at eye level
  • A painted lady butterfly on a kiawe tree
  • A Seven-spotted Lady beetle being watched by flies
  • A katydid on a piece of laundry

The final gallery: Top left: A mango flower beetle explores a spider lily. Top right: A watchful cane spider wondering if it should run, very fast, away. Bottom left: A Hawaiian carpenter ant (Camponotus variegatus), one of too many that have taken up residence in the house. Bottom right: A rusty millipede deciding that it’s all too much!

  • A Mango flower beetle on a spider lily
  • A cane spider in Hawaii
  • A Hawaiian carpenter ant (Camponotus variegatus)
  • A rusty millipede curled up

Cannonball tree

The flowers and fruit of a cannonball tree
Looking up a cannonball tree

My final post for Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees’ (more responses here) features the flowers and fruit of the cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis). These grow out of the trunk of the tree and make for a rather splendid view when looking up. Best to do this from not too close to the trunk!

Ohia

  • Ohia trees growing in the lava
    Ohia trees growing in lava
  • Ohia trees growing in the lava
    Ohia trees growing in lava
  • Ohia roots growing down into a lava tube
    Ohia roots growing in a lava tube
  • Ohia roots growing aerially
    Aerial toots

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Geometric–explore various angles.’ I’ve focused more on the ‘various angles’ than the geometric.

Ohia trees (Metrosideros polymorpha) are endemic to Hawaii and the flower of these trees is the official flower of the Big Island. Depending on growing conditions, ohias can vary from ground hugging shrubs to 50 foot trees. They grow at sea level and at elevations up to 8,000 feet. They’re probably most noted for two things. One is their brilliant display of flowers. The other is that they’re usually the first plants to recolonize lava flows.

They grow in lava is because their roots reach down into lava tubes and tap into the moisture available there. But ohia can also put out aerial roots to gather moisture. They’re very flexible in this way.

  • Ohia flower buds
    Buds form
  • Ohia flower buds begin to reveal the flower within.
    Stamens emerging
  • An ohia flower
    An ohia flower

The puffball flowers are actually clusters of flowers. Each flower is made up of a bunch of stamens (the male part of the flower) and a single pistil (the female part) which is thicker and longer than the stamens. When the flowers have been pollinated, the stamens fall away until only the pistil remains. This too will disappear as the calyx, where the seeds are found, develops. Eventually, the calyx will dry out and release the tiny mature seeds, to be dispersed by the winds, and hopefully grow into new ohia trees.

  • An ohia flower after pollination
    The stamens fall off…
  • Ohia flowers after pollination
    … until only the pistils remain.
  • Ohia seeds develop as the plant dries out,
    The calyx dries out…
  • Ohia seeds develop as the plant dries out,
    … Ready to release seed
  • Different stages of ohia flowers can be seen on a tree at the same time

Also posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees.’ See more responses here.

Pu’uanahulu Baptist Church

Pu'uanahulu Baptist Church seen against a backdrop of a blooming jacaranda tree

Pu’uanahulu is a small community not far from Pu’u Wa’awa’a, where I like to hike. This small Baptist church sits at one end of the community and is backed by trees including the jacaranda that was in bloom when I took this photo.

Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees.’ See more responses here.

Powder puff tree

A Powder Puff Tree flower being visited by geckos
A Powder Puff Tree bud and spent flower

This tree was labeled Powder Puff Tree, Brownea Sp. at Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden. I suspect the Powder Puff name is given to a variety of plants with flowers like this one, so I’m not sure if this is really the correct name.

I do know a couple of things about this tree. The flowers were a brilliant orange and very popular with the gold dust day geckos. They grow directly out of the trunk of the tree, starting as a pinkish bud and eventually dying out to a withered, brown remnant.

For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.

Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees.’ See more responses here.