HAWAII TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN: Hilo, Hawaii by Caroline Arnold at The Intrepid Tourist

 52 Places to Go: Week 16

Heliconia bihai, Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, a treasure trove of tropical plants from around the world and a photographer’s delight, is one of our favorite places on the Big Island. We have been there three times, including on our recent trip to Hawaii two weeks ago, and each time we have had a different experience–depending on weather, time of day, and the growth and addition new plants as the garden is maintained.

View from trail of Twin Rocks in Onomea Bay 

The garden is planted along a steep, narrow valley with a walkway descending 500 feet from the top of the garden (120 feet above sea level) to the ocean below. The top portion is densely planted along a boardwalk and is the perfect place to be eye-level with some of the taller plants. As the walkway reaches the lower part of the garden various side trails lead to waterfalls, a lily pool, a bird cage, orchid garden and more. Actually, orchids have been strategically placed throughout the garden and almost everywhere you look their colorful blooms pop out of the background.

Onomea Waterfall

The sheer variety of plants in the garden is overwhelming with shapes, patterns and colors more like modern art than Mother Nature.  I was reminded of the paintings of French artist Henri Rousseau (who was inspired by the plants he saw in the greenhouses of the botanical garden in Paris.) Among the goals of the garden is to collect and cultivate tropical rain forest flora of every nature and origin, with emphasis on species threatened by extinction.

Patterns of green plants

Although plants are the main emphasis of the garden, the valley is also home to a variety of wildlife. As we walked the garden paths, cardinals and other birds flew overhead, insects buzzed around the flowering trees, frogs called from inside bromeliads, and lizards scampered along the large leaves.

Heliconia along boardwalk

Tickets to enter the garden are purchased at the gift shop next to the parking area. An annex to the gift shop has interesting displays of items collected by the Lutkenhouse family (who built and founded the garden) that reveal some of the early history of the area. Dan and Pauline Lutkenhouse founded the garden in 1978 and opened it to the public in 1984. It is now operated as a non-profit corporation. Admission for a day is $15 for adults, children ages 6 - 16 are $5. Children under 6 are free.

Lily Lake

Directions: The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is located on the 4-mile scenic drive off of Highway 19 (turn off just after the 7 mile marker). The scenic route goes through dense rainforest. This side of the Big Island is the rainy side, and, in fact, there was a small shower just before we arrived at the garden on our recent visit. (The gift shop provides umbrellas if needed.) But, whatever the weather or time of day, the garden is always worth a visit.

This article was written after my visit in 2018. For more about Hilo and the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden go to my post I wrote in April 2012.

Entrance to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

All text and photos copyright Caroline Arnold.