Here are most of the flora I see on my walk to the beach every day. They smell beautiful, and I will sometimes pick up a fallen plumeria and put it in my ear; instant perfume!
We’ve heard that the bloom is in peak now, but I’m pretty convinced there are flowers year round and will believe this until proven otherwise.
Few flowers hold the allure of Hawai’i more than the plumeria. The huge varieties found throughout the islands make it seem as though they originated here, but in truth they are an introduced species. First discovered in the southern forest regions of Mexico in the mid 1800’s, the plant is also known to indigenous to Central America, India, the Caribbean and Brazil. The first plants were brought to Hawai’i in 1860 by Wilhelm Hillebrand, a German physician and botanist. In Hawai’i the plant usually grows as a small tree that mostly blooms from April to November. Flowers do not last long but the bloom pod can produce flowers throughout the year depending on climate and location. The flower colors are diverse in Maui and include white, orange, yellow, pink, salmon, and purple with hybrids containing combinations of all these colors. Plumeria have an amazing fragrance that is most intense at night as they lure moths needed to pollinate them. Interestingly enough they produce no nectar, effectively duping the pollinators to move from flower to flower in a fruitless search for nectar. The flowers are well known for their use in making flower lei. These beautiful and fragrant flowers can also be worn in the hair by women to indicate their relationship status – over the right ear if single and over the left ear if taken.Cordia Bougainvillea BushMore pink plumeriaRed HibiscusWhite HibiscusPinky PlumeriaWhite PlumeriaIn 1959, Hawaii became a state, yet it was not until 1988 that the yellow hibiscus became the state flower. Some of the traditional meanings of the hibiscus include delicate beauty, unity and peace, a perfect representation of what Hawaii is today.Heliconia (Heliconiaceae family) is another favorite among florist and floral designers. Commonly known as bird-of-paradise, lobster claws, or parrot beak flowers, Heliconia is easy to grow in Hawaii. However, it may become a pest by spreading uncontrollably and taking over the entire garden! Some Heliconia species can grow up to 15-20 feet tall! Birds, bats, and insects are attracted to the juicy nectar stored inside the brightly colored inflorescence.
There are more that maybe I’ll add as time goes by, but this is a snapshot of what I see on my daily walks! So colorful.
