The ohia flower is the official flower of the Big Island. It’s an appropriate choice for the volcanically active island since the ohia is one of the first plants to get a foothold in lava flows. When the bright red flowers are in bloom they give a splash of color to the otherwise black lava flows.
The cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis) is pretty distinctive. It sprouts pink or red flowers the length of its trunk and follows them with woody, round fruits that give the tree its name. This one was at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
Coconut palms stretch upward to the blue Hawaiian sky.
The octopus tree (Schefflera actinophylla) is also known as the he’e tree in Hawaii. With its long arms of red flowers it’s easy to see how it got its name.
A stand of trees, off Old Saddle Road, is silhouetted by early morning sunlight.
In a strong contrast of textures, the base of a gnarly old ohia tree is covered in a soft coating of moss.
Most people are familiar with the image of palm trees towering over golden Hawaiian beaches. This is not one of those. It’s taken an unusual path, twisting down and around and up again, but none the worse for its circuitous route.
The tree poinsettia (Warszewiczia Coccinea) is the national flower of Trinidad and Tobago. It’s not related to true poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima), but is equally showy with its brilliant red bracts.
Graham's Island 