Category Archives: Plants

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

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

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!

Sheep in a macadamia nut orchard

Sheep graze in a macadamia nut orchard

Macadamia nuts are big business in Hawaii, but the orchards themselves present a more pastoral scene. This orchard is rendered slightly less scenic by some dying trees, but that’s offset, to some extent, by the sheep.

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

Plumeria and palm

Plumerias and a coconut palm

The flowers of a plumeria tree front a well-laden coconut palm.

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

Name that tree

A tree with names carved in the trunk

Evidence that the time-honored tradition of carving names into tree trunks is still as popular as ever.

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

Moon through the trees

The moon seen through tree branches

A partial moon seen through a gap in tree branches.

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

Tree-o

Three palm trees in Hawaii

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

Ohia

Ohia trees growing in the lava — Ohia trees growing in lava

Ohia trees growing in the lava — Ohia trees growing in lava

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. — Buds form

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 — The stamens fall off…

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