Tag Archives: Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden

Rampant tropical plants

Tropical foliage at Lily Lake

Tropical FoliageI live in a pretty green area of the Big Island, but I always enjoy a visit to the much wetter east side. The extra rain allows the tropical foliage to run amok. Trees and shrubs compete for space and light, and vines run everywhere – along the ground and up tree trunks. It’s a riot of many shades of green and leaves of every size, from tiny ground covers to giant bananas to the distinctive leaves of a monstera deliciosa surrounding its flower (below).

Posted in response to this week’s Sunday Stills challenge on the theme of ‘Plant Life.’ See more responses here.

Monstera Deliciosa flower

Spathoglottis orchid

Spathoglottis orchid

Spathoglottis orchid flowersThis spathoglottis orchid is probably spathoglottis picata, though it could be spathoglottis kimballiana. This one was at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, which lists the kimballiana but not the picata in their plant database. However, that database doesn’t list all their plants, so it’s not conclusive. The closest images I found online looked more like the spathoglottis picata.

Bottom line is that it’s a beautiful flower whatever its exact name (but I’m always open to help in getting the correct identification for plants or anything else on the blog).

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

Tropical stream

Tropical Stream

Boulder Creek Falls on the Alakahi Stream in Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is lined with ferns and other tropical plants. It’s one of the quieter parts of the garden and a nice place to rest a while and enjoy the scenery. Mosquito repellent is advised.

Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge ‘Liquid.’

 

Medinilla alata ‘Lalique’

Medinilla Alata 'Lalique'

Medinilla alata ‘Lalique’ is also known as chandelier plant, although I’ve seen that name given to other similar looking plants as well. It hails from either Indonesia or the Philippines, depending on who you ask. either way, it’s a delicate, but beautiful flower,

This one was at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden near Hilo.

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

Arpophyllum spicatum

Arpophyllum spicatum

Arpophyllum spicatum is not a typical-looking orchid, but it is a member of the orchid family, originally from Central America. It’s sometimes called the candlestick orchid because of its tendency to form a dense column of flowers. This one, at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, is a little looser.

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

Cambria orchid

Cambria Orchid

A favorite place I try to visit several times a year is Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, north of Hilo. There’s always something different in bloom, something new for me to see, such as this orchid.

As usual with orchids, I offer an identification with some trepidation. I think this is a cambria orchid, though exactly which type, I couldn’t say. Regardless, it’s a most striking and beautiful flower and that’s enough for me.

If anyone knows of a good orchid identification site online, please let me know.

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

Posted in response to the WordPress photo challenge, ‘Favorite place’.

Aphelandra sinclairiana

Aphelandra sinclairiana flowerAphelandra sinclairiana

Aphelandra sinclairiana, is a shrub commonly known as Coral Aphelandra, orange shrimp plant, or, as this one was labeled, Panama Queen. It’s native to Central America, but this one was at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, near Hilo.

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

Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, ‘I’d rather be…,’ because I’d rather be out looking at flowers.