NATURE AS ARTIST: HAWAII TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN, Hilo, HawaII

Malay Rose at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Hilo, Hawaii

One of our favorite places on the Big Island of Hawaii is the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden near Hilo, a treasure trove of tropical plants from around the world. We visit the garden every time we are in Hawaii and I have written about it numerous times on this blog. (See links below for reports and photos from previous trips.) 

The giant leaves of this fan palm explode in a geometrical pattern.

No matter how many times we visit, it is always a new experience depending on the weather, time of day, and the constantly changing growth cycle of the plants. On this trip I was struck once again by the incredible variety of nature-- from big to small, simple to complex, subtle to brilliant, patterns of all kinds—all juxtaposed in the lush background of the steep coastal canyon. It was hard to stop taking pictures, each one becoming another canvas in nature’s art gallery. Here are just a few of my favorites!

The flower on this plant is like a tiny, elegant vase complete with its own blossom

The basket fern encircles the trunk of a tree, like a giant green bowl.

The brilliant blossom on the powder puff tree is hard to miss.

 Look closely at the center of each bloom for what looks like a tiny face. This is just one of hundreds of varieties of orchids displayed throughout the garden.

A tiny lizard is hiding in this flower. Can you find it? It wasn't until I looked at the photo after I got home that I saw it.

These are among dozens of varieties of ginger displayed in the garden.

These leaves overlap one another like an abstract painting.

The dark dots and stripes almost seem to be painted on these leaves, as if they were made of  ceramic.

The colors of this heliconia bloom are almost glow-in-the-dark. The plants are sometimes called lobster claws.

I love how the names of the plants often reflect how they look. Not surprisingly, this flower is called cat's whiskers.

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 $25 for adults, children ages 6 - 16 are $12. Children under 6 are free.

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.

Report of our visit in 2015: https://theintrepidtourist.blogspot.com/2015/05/hawaii-tropical-botanical-garden-hilo.html

Report from 2012: https://theintrepidtourist.blogspot.com/2012/04/hawaiis-big-island-hilo-side.html