Tulip trees (Spathodea campanulata) were introduced from tropical Africa. When blooming the flowers can be red, orange, or yellow. Tulip trees can grow to be very tall, up to 80 feet, and with their prolific, vibrant flowers they’re easy trees to spot in otherwise largely green forests. Newly fallen flowers also look great on a lawn.
What I like about tropical foliage is not just its rampant nature, but also its splashes of color. Here, red leaves and anthuriums stand out from the numerous shades of green.
This paper wasp was working on a new nest attached to a loulu palm (Pritchardia affinis). In one of the cells – the top one of four on the left side – an egg has already been deposited.
I don’t know who Christa is or was, but there were a couple of things that struck me about this image.
The sign and the swing’s rope and seat were in excellent condition in stark contrast to the tree, which was dying and deliberately so. The channel around the trunk, below the sign, is intended to kill the tree, probably a silk oak, which can take over and crowd out native trees.
And then there’s the location, not far from the old quarry near the foot of Pu’u Wa’a Wa’a. It’s more than a mile down the hill to the nearest habitation, a ranch that runs livestock in this area. So, an isolated spot for Christa’s playground, but a wonderful location too, with views to the Pacific and surrounded by birds and animals, both domestic and wild.
Posted in response to this week’s Sunday Stills challenge on the theme of ‘Playground.’ See more responses here.
I spotted this male northern cardinal wrestling with a kiawe seed pod, but had to leave before I could see how the duel ended. I suspect the cardinal won. He was certainly putting in enough effort to do so.
The northern mockingbird arrived in Hawaii in 1928 and is quite common now. It is most easily seen when it perches at the top of a tree and sings, as in the photo to the left. Later, this one descended into the heart of a kiawe tree where it looked out from the tangle of branches and thorns.
Haole koa is the local term for Leucaena leucocephala. It means ‘foreign acacia koa.’ Acacia koa is a native hardwood tree that has been used in building everything from guitars to canoes.
Haole koa got its name because it looks similar to young acacia koa trees. It also looks similar to kiawe, but lacks the vicious thorns of that tree.
This is the time of year that haole koa trees flower and their white flower heads look like puff balls. These are popular with the bees, which were swarming all over a small group of haole koa trees just a few days ago.
Posted in response to this week’s Sunday Stills challenge on the theme of ‘Spring has Sprung.’ See more responses here.
The footstool palm (Livistona rotundifolia) is a native of South-east Asia. This one was heavy with berries.
Graham's Island 