Chocolate ball ginger (Zingiber macradenium) is a beehive ginger, so-called because of their shape and composition. Their form means the many little cups are great collectors of water. They probably make great drinking spots for geckos, birds and other small creatures. Probably also a great environment for breeding mosquitoes.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
This is a pair of banana stalk flies (Telostylinus lineolatus) mating on a …wait minute, that’s not a banana stalk. In fact it’s the spadix of an Anthurium schlechtendalii or Pheasant’s tail.
I had to hunt around a bit to identify the insect, but found useful information at whatsthatbug.com. One thing I liked was where it stated, “With enormous eyes, this tiny, tropical, stilt-legged fly maintains a confident distance from human approach, by swiftly running around the blind-side of whatever surface it is on.” This made me laugh because that was EXACTLY what this pair did when I tried to photograph them.
A stand of beechey bamboo (bambusa beecheyana) reaches for the sky. This clumping bamboo grows to around 50 feet tall with a five-inch diameter culms.
Alpinia purpurata is also known as red ginger. This bright red display is not actually the flower, but the bract. The flowers are small and white and will appear on the top of this.
For dense foliage, the east side (otherwise known as the wet side, or Hilo side) of the Big Island can’t be beat. Here the trunks of two trees are entwined by a tangled vine, surrounded by exotic foliage.
New Guinea creeper (Tecomanthe dendrophila) is a vigorous vine that grows up to 80 feet high here. The lovely bicolor flowers grow on the plant’s woody stems and will appear on the same stems year after year.
A satin pothos (Scindapsus pictus) climbs a tree in Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. While rampant in tropical climates, this plant is quite popular as a houseplant elsewhere. It’s poisonous to dogs and cats though, so that’s something to consider.
For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.
Graham's Island 