This old boat hull lies peacefully below the spreading limbs of what I think is a banyan tree on the road to Waipi’o beach.
Category Archives: Plants
Tree tobacco
Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) heralds from South America, but in Hawaii, it’s an invasive species. The chances of eradicating it are slight. Controlling its spread is a more realistic possibility. But tree tobacco is one invasive species in Hawaii that does have something going for it.
Enter Blackburn’s sphinx moth (Manduca blackburni), a large, endemic moth, once thought extinct, and a long-time resident on the endangered species list. Among its problems is that its host species, ‘aiea, (Nothocestrum spp.) has been on the decline for a while. ‘Aiea belongs to the nightshade family (Solanaceae) as does tree tobacco.
It seems that the moth, in the interests of survival, decided tree tobacco is not so bad. So we have an endangered species becoming reliant on an invasive species. Hmm. As I said, control is the most likely approach with tree tobacco and that will undoubtedly involve checking to see whether Blackburn’s sphinx moth is present before removing areas of tree tobacco.
That’s good news for the plant in this photo. I found it at Pu’u Wa’awa’a, a State Forest Reserve on the northern slope of Hualalai. Pu’u Wa’awa’a is home to a variety of endangered plants and animals including Blackburn’s sphinx moth.
For more information about tree tobacco, go to cabi.org/isc/datasheet/36324.
For more information about Blackburn’s sphinx moth, go to fws.gov/pacificislands/fauna/bsmoth.html.
For more information about Pu’u Wa’a Wa’a, go to puuwaawaa.org.
From a gecko’s point of view
Two gold dust day geckos spot each other on a ti plant. Such frequent, daily encounters can be matter of life and death. More often, they result in a clarification of the pecking order in a given territory.
Mauna Loa silverswords bloom and die
This is the time of year when silverswords bloom. These plants, members of the sunflower family, are endemic to Hawaii. There are slightly different silverswords growing on Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala on Maui. The plants are very susceptible to root disturbance and the activities of goats, pigs and humans has led to their decline. They’re making a comeback now thanks to fenced enclosures and careful management.
These photos were taken on Mauna Loa a few years back. The flower stalks were about 6 to 8 feet tall. The plants live for up to 30 years, but once they bloom, they die (like the one in the background of the top photo).
In the second photo, the ongoing eruption of Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent can be seen.
For more information about Mauna Loa silverswords, go to nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/endangered_ahinahina.htm.
Prepare to pupate
This Hawaiian monarch butterfly caterpillar was getting ready to pupate. It attached itself to the underside of a ti leaf with a silk pad. Just a few hours later it had molted into the blue-green chrysalis to the left.
Only a small percentage of monarch eggs make it all the way to adulthood, so I hope the geckos don’t get to this one. I’ll keep an eye on it over the next week or so.
Bird of paradise
Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is one of the quintessential tropical plants with its exotic-looking, colorful flowers. While it’s common on the Big Island, it still hasn’t lost its wow factor for me.
For more information about this and other Hawaiian flowers, go to wildlifeofhawaii.com/flowers/.
Praying mantis on basil
I suppose I should have a series about things found on my basil plants since they are many and varied. This praying mantis won’t harm the plant and it might eat some harmful bugs, but it’s equally likely to devour beneficial insects. Still, I think they’re fascinating creatures and I always enjoy seeing them.
Wild pig
There’s a sizeable wild pig population on the Big Island and they can be both problematic and dangerous. A while back, a local woman was attacked by a boar in her garden. She got seriously gored as well as having her leg broken.
This one was puttering around the yard in the early morning, snacking on fallen mangoes. It took him a while to notice me, but when he did, he took off at speed.
The numbers around here have dropped since hunters began making regular visits and when I do hear the pigs moving about, they’re being a good deal more cautious than they used to be.
Graham's Island 