Tag Archives: Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden

Better Days: Gravesite

The old gravesite at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the Big Island.
In Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, north of Hilo, this gravesite sits close to the ocean, surrounded by tropical foliage. The wording on the sign reads:

Long ago, Onomea Bay was a fishing village, became a rough-water seaport in the 1800’s, and later was inhabited by Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos who came here to work in the sugar cane fields and to help build the Onomea Sugar Mill. In the early 1900’s, Onomea was deserted and vegetation grew so densely that few signs of habitation could be seen.

When our Founder and his tireless helpers were first clearing this area, they discovered this olden and dignified gravesite. We have never been able to authenticate the origin, although some old-timers believe the gravesite may have belonged to a caretaker’s family, since a cement-made gravesite would not have pre-dated the 1900’s.

Our commitment is to forever preserve this resting place with the utmost care and respect.

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

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

Orthosiphon aristatus

Orthosiphon aristatus is better known in the U.S. as Java tea or cat’s whiskers
Orthosiphon aristatus is better known in the U.S. as Java tea or cat’s whiskers, which I think is particularly fitting. This one was at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden just north of Hilo on the east side of the Big Island.

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

How green is my valley?

Lush foliage on the east side of the Big Island, Hawaii.
The north and east sides of the Big Island get more rain than the west – a lot more rain. Much of that area gets 100 inches and up. A good chunk of it gets more than 200 inches. By contrast, there are areas on the west coast that get less than 10 inches of rain a year. Two of the driest parts of the island are the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, which also get less than 10 inches. That’s because they’re mostly up above the clouds.

The east side’s rain tends to be of the tropical variety – intense downpours that don’t necessarily last long. Several inches can fall in the space of half an hour. Flash floods are a threat all over the island. Those heavy rains falling up on the hills can channel down west side gullies.

Another result of all that rain is that the foliage is luxuriantly tropical: towering trees and shrubs, extravagantly large leaves, and vines with everything. This scene is on the coast near the Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden north of Hilo.

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

Indonesian Wax Ginger

Indonesian Wax Ginger
The flower of this ginger is actually yellow. The conspicuous red parts here are the bracts, which are modified or specialized leaves. This one was at the Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden on the Hilo side of the island. Well worth a visit.

For more information about Hawaiian flowers, go to wildlifeofhawaii.com/flowers/. For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.