Hawaii Gardens

 Allerton Garden: A National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hailima Road, P.O. Box 340,  

 Lawai, HI 96765 (808)332-2623.

The cliff-top 100 acre estate (once the property of Hawaiian Queen  Emma) offers lush tropical foliage in garden rooms with gravity-fed pools and fountains, and garden sculpture. Although known for being the background for Jurassic Park, you won't find any dinosaurs.

 Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden:  P.O. Box 1053, Captain Cook, HI 96704

 (808)323-3318.

The 12 acre Garden supports Native Hawaiian cultural traditions of land use and plants and conserves the plant resources of traditional Hawaiian cultural activities. The landscape scheme reflects four vegetation zones used by prehistoric Hawaiians in Kona: Coastal, Lowland Dry Forest, Food and Fiber Crops, and Upland Forest. Flora include 250 types of plants used by Hawaiians, including native and Polynesian plants, as well as collections of Hawaiian crop plants including banana, sugarcane, and taro.

 Byodo-in Temple: 47-200 Kahekili Highway, Kaneohe, HI 96744-4562 (808)239-8811.

A replica of the actual Byodo-in-Temple in Kyoto, Japan, is surrounded by Japanese gardens and koi ponds and showcases a 9 foot tall Buddha and a three ton Peace Bell.

 Contemporary Museum Garden: 2411 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, HI 98822-2547

 (808)526-1322 or (808)526-0232 (Recording).

The 3-1/2 acres Gardens were created as a place of contemplation by an Hawaiian minister who transformed the hillside into sloping lawns and a secluded garden ravine. This tranquil setting features trees such as kukui, mango, monkeypod, banyan and breadfruit.

 Courtyard Garden: Kahului Public Library, 90 School Street, Kahului, HI 96732

 (808) 873-3097.

This Hawaiian plant garden, displaying over 20 endemic and indigenous Hawaiian plants, was designed, planted and is maintained by the Native Hawaiian Plant Society. The Courtyard Garden can only be viewed from inside the Library

 Enchanting Floral Gardens of Kula, Maui: Highway 37 Across the 10 Mile Marker, Kula,

 HI 96790 (808)878-2531.

Eight acres of gardens with ocean and mountain views display more than 1500 tropical and semi-tropical species of native and exotic flora. A "Stairway to Heaven," a ten-foot tower, offers lovely views of the valley.

 Foster Botanic Gardens: Honolulu Botanical Gardens, 50 N. Vineyard

 Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96817 (808)522-7060.

This historic garden, begun in 1853, offers 13.5 acres of gardens. Special exhibits include the Lyon Orchid Garden, the Upper Terrace (the oldest part), Middle Terraces (palms, aroids, heliconia and ginger plants), Economic Garden (herb garden, spices, dyes, poisons and beverage plants), Prehistoric Glen, Hybrid Orchids and Exceptional Trees.

 Halawa Xeriscape Gardens: 99-1268 Iwaena Street, Aiea, HI 96701 (808)527-6113 or 527-6126.

This water conservation garden, a project of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, exhibits water-conserving Hawaiian plants, water-conserving irrigation, and mulches.

 Harold L. Lyon Arboretum: University of Hawai'i Manoa, 3860 Manoa Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 (808)988-0456.

The only university botanical garden in the U.S. located in a tropical rain forest environment, this 193 acre Arboretum contains a vast collection of tropical plants, including about 5000 taxa (species, varieties, cultivars) representing about 15,000 accessions, the largest collection of palms in any botanical garden (172 genera, 666 species, 742 taxa) and major collections of native Hawaiian plants, gingers, aroids, heliconias, calatheas, and ti.

 Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden : 27-717 Old Mamalahoa Highway, P.O. Box 80, Papaikou, HI 96781 (808)964-5233.

This fabulous garden's 2,000 species of rare and exotic plants are displayed in a naturalistic setting of incomparable natural beauty. Features include the Palm Vista Trail (more than 200 species of palms), the Giant Fern Circle, the Palm Jungle, Onomea Falls (a breathtaking three-tiered waterfall), Heliconia Trail (80 species), Banyan Canyon, Bromeliad Hill (than 80 varieties and species), the Orchid Garden, Flamingo and (Mandarin) Duck Pond, Wi-apple Vista, Coconut Vista, Monkeypod Vista, Turtle Bay Vista (overlooking the Garden's marine preserve), Trail to the Ocean (through 100 year old coconut palms and monkeypod trees), Oceanfront Trail, Alakahi Stream Trail, Lily Lake (water lilies and koi), Cook Pine Trail, Boulder Creek Trail, Bird Aviary, and a Torch Ginger Forest.

 Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden: Honolulu Botanical Gardens, 45-680 Luluku Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744 (808)233-7323.

This 400 acre park features plantings from major tropical regions around the world grouped geographically. Regions includes the Philippines, Hawaii, Africa, Sri Lanka & India, Polynesia, Melanesia, Malaysia, and Tropical America. Special emphasis is placed on conserving plants native to Hawaii

 Kahanu Garden: National Tropical Botanical Garden, Near Hana on the Hana Highway Lawai, HI 09675 (808)332-7324.

This 220 acre garden, set among black lava flows and bordered by a native pandanus forest, displays plant collections from the Pacific Islands of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. The Garden contains the largest known collection of breadfruit cultivars.

 Kaia Ranch Tropical Botanical Gardens: Kaia Ranch Bed and Breakfast, Ulaino Road,

 P.O. Box 404, Hana, HI 96713 (808)522-7060.

A 27-acre Hawaiian country farm with a B&B and a tropical botanical garden

 Keanae Arboretum: Hana Hwy 360E (Just after Mile Marker 16), Keanae, Maui, HI.

This six-acre park displays over 150 varieties of labeled native and exotic plants, including large groves of towering bamboo trees, many palm species, food plants, canoe plants, and Heliconia Ginger.

 Kepaniwai Cultural Park: Iao Valley Road, Wailuku, HI 96793 (808)243-7389.

The park honors each of the ethnic groups (Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, Hawai'ian, early American, and Portuguese) that pioneered and settled on Maui. It features a series of pavilions, reconstructed houses, and gardens, with a lovely stream.

 Koko Crater Botanic Garden: Inside Koko Crater (next to Koko Crater Stables), Honolulu, HI 96825 (808)522-7060.

The garden is sited in 200 acres on the slopes and basin of Koko Crater and places special emphasis on xeriscape gardening. It features plants that thrive in desert-like surroundings such as African plants, cacti and succulents, plumeria cultivars, native wiliwili, dryland palms, and bougainvillea.

 Kula Botanical Gardens: Route 377, Kekaulike Avenue, Kula, HI 96790 (808)878-1715.

This 5 acre garden with a stream, fishponds, waterfalls, landscaped mountain slopes and view of the island once belonged to Princess Kinoiki Kekaulike. The garden displays over 1,700 varieties of tropical and semi-tropical plants, including native koa trees, bamboo, Norfolk pines, and orchids.

 Lawai Garden: National Tropical Botanical Garden Headquarters, Hailima Road, P.O. Box 340, Lawai, HI 96765 (808)332-7324.

A 252 site encompassing a variety of micro-climates (cool, hot, wet, dry, lake, cliff and meadow) displays the largest ex situ collection of native Hawaiian flora in existence as well as extensive native and exotic plantings of palms, flowering trees, heliconias, and orchids.

 Liliuokalani Botanical Garden: North Kuakini Street, Honolulu HI 96817 (808) 522-7060.

This 7-1/2 acre garden, once part of the favorite picnic grounds of Queen Liliuokalani, is being developed to display native Hawaiian plants. The site contains the Nuuanu Stream and waterfalls.

 Mala Laau: A Garden of Hawaiian Healing Plants: Hawaii Medical Library, 1221 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 (808)536-9302.

The library offers a courtyard garden that showcases 10 Hawaiian and Polynesian plant species used in traditional Hawaiian healing. The garden can only be viewed from inside the Library.

 Maui Botanical Garden: Kanaloa Avenue, Wailuku, HI 96793 (808)243-7397.

This 7 acre garden is devoted entirely to native Hawaiian and Polynesian introduced plants and is soon to be renovated.

Maui County Research: University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human

 Resources, 209 Mauna Place, Kula, Maui, HI 96790.

This research center is home to an All America Rose Selections accredited rose garden.

 Maui Tropical Plantation: 1670 Honoapiilani Highway, Wailuku, HI 96793 (808)244-7643 or

 (800)451-6805.

A 40 minute narrated tram ride takes visitors through fields of tropical agricultural products including sugar, pineapple, macadamia nuts, coconuts, guavas, bananas, passion fruit, Maui onions, Kona coffee and other fruits, flowers and vegetables.

Moir Gardens (Also known as Pau a Lake Garden): Kiahuna Plantation Resort, 2253 Poipu

 Road, Poipu, HI 96756-9534 (808)742-6411.

The Moir garden features an extensive collection of aloe plants. Visitors may take a self-guided tour showcasing rare and exotic succulents and cacti, coconut and wiliwili trees, orchids, and bromoliads, all set in a landscape of lava rock and cascading lagoons.

 National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific: Punchbowl Crater at 2177 Puowaina Drive,

 Honolulu, HI 96813-1729, (808)532-3720.

High above the island, this resting place of thousands of veterans who served in WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War is also the site of the Honolulu Memorial, honoring the sacrifices and achievements of American Armed Forces in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean Conflict, plus those missing from the Vietnam Conflict. A school web page has wonderful photographs of this hallowed place.

 Senator Fong's Plantation and Gardens: 47-285 Pulama Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744-5026

 (808)239-6775.

The 725 acre private estate owned by former US Senator Hiram Fong offers five scenic valleys and plateaus filled with thousands of tropical fruit, nuts, ferns, and fragrant flowers which can be viewed during a narrated tram tour. The Senator's political life is reflected in the names of the garden sections: the Eisenhower Plateau (Ethnic Gardens), the Ford Plateau (Ko'olau Mountains, Pili Grass, Wild Orchids), the Johnson Plateau (Tropical Fruit Garden), the Kennedy Valley (Hawaiian Rain Forest, Tropical Flower Garden, Lychee Meadow, Palm Gardens) the Nixon Valley (Hawaiian Gardens, Fish Ponds, Lei Flower Garden) and Lunalilo Heights (Ko'olau Mountains, Keneohe Bay).

 Tropical Gardens of Maui: 200 Iao Valley Road, Wailuku, HI 96793 (808)244-3085.

4-acre botanical garden and export plant nursery showcases native and exotic tropical plants ranging from Southwestern American Cactus to bizarre Miniature Palms from the rain forest of Borneo. A self-guided tour takes the visitor past koi ponds, taro-planted terraces, a palm grotto and banyan trees.

 University of Hawaii at Manoa: Manoa Valley, Honolulu, HI 96822-2279.

The hundreds of plants on this extensively landscaped campus are catalogued (with information and photographs) on their Botany Department web site.

 Urban Garden Center: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Cooperative

 Extension Service, 962 Second Street, Pearl City, HI 96782, (808)453-6050.

The 30-acre educational resource showcases ornamental and useful plants including an herb garden, a hedge maze, ground cover and turf grass displays, a fruit orchard, and an vegetable idea garden.

 Wahiawa Botanical Garden: 1396 California Avenue, Wahiawa, HI 96786

 (808)621-7321.

This 27-acre garden and forested ravine dates was first used by sugar planters as an experimental arboretum. It features Hawaiian palms, an Aroid garden, tree ferns, Epiphytic plants, and native Hawaiian plants.

 Wailea Point Seawalk: Between the Kea Lani and the Four Seasons Hotels, Wailea ,

 Maui, HI.

Strolling along this half-mile walk by the ocean, the walker may discover 73 species of littoral natives and Polynesian introduced plants as well as some coastal shrub land areas.

 Waimea Arboretum and Garden: Waimea Park Audubon Center, 59-864 Kamehameha

 Highway, Haleiwa, HI 96712-9406, (808)638-8655 or (800)767-8046.

The garden, part of the 1800 acres Waimea Valley Audubon Center, consists of 36 gardens containing some 6,000 species situated in a narrow valley rising from sea level to 1,000 feet. Gardens (including the Hibicus Evolutionary Garden and the Hawaiian Lei Garden) focus on the preservation of flora from threatened tropical island ecosystems in Hawaii, Guam, the Ogasawara Islands and the Mascarenes. Other special collections include erythrinas, gingers and heliconias.