Tag Archives: Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden

Tropical mystery plant

Yesterday, I posted about a visit to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden with Terri, from Second Wind Leisure Perspectives. These photos are of one very interesting plant we saw toward the end of our tour. The spectacular pink bloom sprouted from the end of a single stem. This was definitely something I hadn’t seen before. I took several photos, including these two.

A few steps farther up the path, was a shaving brush tree (thanks for ID Terri) and on the ground around it were numerous pink blooms, remarkably similar to those of this mystery plant. Across from the shaving brush tree, a different shrub altogether sported the same bloom.

Someone had been having an entertaining visit, placing shaving brush blooms on an assortment of plants, but it had been well done and I thought it appropriate for today’s post.

Coconut orchid

A coconut orchid at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
A coconut orchid at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

Coconut orchids (Maxillaria tenuifolia) are originally from Central America. They’re noteworthy for their flowers’ blood red color and a coconut scent. I admit, I didn’t detect much scent, but my sense of smell is not exactly acute. The flowers bloom in spring for a week or more.

I saw this orchid at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden during a visit with Terri, from Second Wind Leisure Perspectives, who was visiting the Big Island for a week. Terri hosts the Sunday Stills challenge and her theme this week, coincidentally, is ‘Tropical.’ See more responses here.

We had a good stroll around the garden taking the usual slew of photos. Though I’m a regular visitor to the garden I always see new things, and this coconut orchid was one. For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.

Also posted in response to this week’s Friendly Friday challenge on the theme of ‘Feelings of Spring.’ See more responses here.

Phalaenopsis orchid

phalaenopsis (chianxen queen x diamond beauty)

phalaenopsis (chianxen queen x diamond beauty) detailThere are many varieties of phalaenopsis orchids on show at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. This one is Phalaenopsis (ChianXen Queen x Diamond Beauty).

There are so many orchid hybrids, with subtle variations, that it can be difficult to identify them. However, at the garden, I’ve found that if I root around at the base of the plant I often find a name tag sticking out of the dirt, and when it comes to identification I’ll take all the help I can get.

For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.

Gecko on costus curvibracteatus

Gecko on Costus curvibracteatus

Gecko on Costus curvibracteatus flowerCostus curvibracteatus is also known as orange tulip ginger and hails from Costa Rica and Panama. In these photos, the overlapping red parts are the bracts and the longer orange tubular forms, emerging from between the bracts, are the flowers. However the bracts can also be orange, and the flowers a similar length as the bracts.

The plant was being explored by a gold dust day gecko, which was likely searching for something sweet or possibly seeking water trapped in the bracts.

This one was at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.