North Shore Newsby Jerry Koko, Botanical Collections Specialist at Waimea Valley
In Waimea Valley, there are two gardens representing the beautiful flora of Central and South America. Nestled under the large canopies before our second bridge is the Central and South American Flora A garden. There are about 21 countries represented in this collection from Central America, South America, as well as Caribbean nations. Hawaii has a very similar climate to the representative countries, so we are able to grow these beautiful specimens for everyone to see.
This peaceful garden allows you to not only beat the heat, but take a break from the hustle and bustle of the main path. There is only one way in and out of this garden, but it is sure to make a lovely detour from your trek to and from the waterfall. A path guides you through this shaded garden and you are able to take in the beauty of nature. This secluded area is peaceful and has the sound of the stream nearby as well as beautiful bird songs to listen to. As you listen to the dulcet sounds of nature, make sure to look around for some truly breathtaking flowers.
As you make your way down the hill to our second bridge, there is a set of stairs that leads to this garden. The entrance is flanked by a beautiful flowering tree known as Stifftia chrysantha. The tree blooms nine months of the year and the eyecatching orange flowers stay on for weeks at a time, allowing visitors to really take in the beauty of this Brazilian endemic plant. You can beat the Waimea heat by heading down the staircase into our almost completely shaded Central and South American Flora A garden.
The tall Cassia grandis, or “pink shower tree”, is a plant that provides a lot of the shade here and has beautiful pink flowers. It’s a plant in the legume family (Fabaceae) that has its natural distributions in the neotropics from Mexico to Ecuador and Venezuela. Although usually planted as an ornamental, there has been some medicinal uses in Costa Rica where the pods are stewed and used as sweetener.
If you look closely, puffs of red flowers can appear in the canopy as well. Those flowers belong to the “rose of Venezuela” trees or Brownea spp. We have a few species of Brownea in this garden, but they all display a beautiful show of red flowers that are a sight to behold. This South American native plant is grown in the tropics as an ornamental plant. The flowers create copious amounts of nectar which can attract butterflies to the plant.
There is a plant here that may look familiar to locals as well. Caesalpinia pulcherrima is known here locally as ‘ohai ali‘i, but is actually from the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. Known as the “pride of Barbados”, it is the national flower of the Carribean Island. The plant has been cultivated here in Hawaii for its beautiful flowers to make lei. The flower can be different colors, such as red or orange, but the one located in this garden is the yellow form.
Another show-stopping flower in this garden is viewable while coming back from the waterfall. This Pseudobombax ellipticum has white flowers that will catch your eye as you cross the bridge. Known as the “shaving brush tree” or even the “Dr. Seuss tree”, the beautiful white flowers look like shaving brushes. It is grown as an ornamental here, however, in its native habitats, this plant can be used as firewood and wood for carving.
The tropics are synonymous with amazing flowers such as heliconia, ginger, bird of paradise, and the list goes on. Your eye can always be drawn down toward the ground as you see these magnificent flowers, however then you miss what can be right above your noses. The magnificent trees at Waimea Valley put on a full display of flowers throughout the year so don’t be afraid to look up for a dazzling showcase of color. Waimea Valley will be open 7 days a week starting May 23rd 9 am to 5 pm. Learn more at www.waimeavalley.net. Be sure to learn more about our plants by attending the daily botanical tour at 12:30 pm which starts at the ticket booth. The tour included in your admission fee.