Lehua's Albums
Waikiki Pilgrimage June 1997
Flora
 I was amazed to see that the flower trees were still blooming when I arrived, they had hung on rather late. I hit right smack in the middle of the Guatemalan gold trees' bloom, which only lasts a minute, so I felt very blessed.
Some of the showers were still blooming, too. Here, you see one of the "true" varieties, the golden Cassia fistula, shot a block from my grandmother's house. I was unable to find any of the pink Cassia javonica on this trip. From the two is made the popular hybrid, seen everywhere, which ranges between salmon and a pale yellow. |
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The Brazilian coral tree is a favorite of mine, with its dark, velvety blooms.
 The hau tree is one of our few natives, and proliferates along Waikiki beach. In addition to its interesting habit (near water, it can behave quite mangrove-like), the blossoms do a fascinating response to the passing of the hours. Mornings, they are pale lemon, as in the photo. Through the day they progress to orange, finally ending a dark red. |
The bauhinia is also called "the orchid tree", and its blossoms certainly do look like orchids. Here you see the common version, pink & white with speckles. There is also a dark fuschia version which, oddly enough, I've seen also in Tempe, Arizona.
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It's hard for me to find the words for my love for the laua'e fern, here hugging the base of a poinciana tree. It has a sweet, strong fragrance, like maile. My elementary school used to have them in hanging baskets along all the walkways, and they brought a coolness and comfort. Cuzz Tom saw I'd misspelled it "la'au" and embarked on a study trip to find the following: Found in the Illustrated Hawaiian Dictionary (Wight), the Hawai'ian Dictionary (Pukui/Elbert), and A Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Trees and Shrubs(Pratt);Pukui lists an alternate spelling as lauwa'e. I particularly trust Pratt, as he used Rick Warshauer as his botanical consultant, and the guy is sharp. He mentions there is a native/alien controversy because there is no documentation of the fern in Hawaii until the 20th century. Laua'e means beloved or sweet, as in of a lover. Also called "maile-scented fern" (though I've never actually heard anyone say that). I was amazed at how FEW books on Hawaiian plants mention laua'e fern.  Pride of Barbados was everywhere. Normally, it is scarlet with gold trim, but I was able to find the uncommon yellow variety. | |
 Hibiscus of course is as common as mynahs, in every imaginable color and form. I couldn't find my first favorite, the native white ko'okio, but found my second favorite, Hibiscus schizopetalus, the "split-petal" hibiscus.
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I was also able to find a related species called "brick-red bauhinia", plentiful at Honolulu zoo.