Koli‘i: The RuPaul of the Rain Forest
The native lobelia, koli'i spreads an umbrella of pink blossoms in late summer.
Bats on the Wing
When the Polynesians first made landfall in Hawaii, their closest relative here was a bat.
The Hawaiian Sphinx’s Riddle
Hawaiian Sphinx Moth is endangered and rare with many bright colors and can found in the winter months in a nocturnal environment.
Jacarandas
Each spring the tall jacaranda trees lining the Upcountry Maui roadsides begin their slow explosion of color.
Hawaiian Winter
Hawaiians honor Lono, god of agriculture, during a four-month-long celebration called Makahiki.
Lono’s Light
This story explores ancient Hawaiian uses for the kukui nut, and the legends that surround it.
Hāhā: The Velvet Touch
Some of Maui’s strangest flowers bloom in winter—though witnessing these living curiosities requires some effort and a sharp eye.
Return of the Wiliwili
This native tree breaks all the rules. It grows on barren lava fields, loses its leaves in summer, and, faced with a deadly invasive pest, backed away from the brink of extinction.
The Call of the ‘Alala
Ancient Hawaiian Chanters used the unique sounds of the Alala, Hawaiian crow, to broadcast messages in battle. Currently they are extinct in the wild.
Casting Call
As summer ripens, local fishermen start scanning the shoreline for oama, or baby goatfish.
Beach Naupaka: Opera by the Sea
Native Hawaiian naupaka is a beach shrub with worthy gems to offer the budding botanist.
Spring Cleaning
‘Awapuhi is one of the twenty-seven species known as “canoe plants”—plants the first Hawaiians carried with them and relied on when colonizing these Islands.
All You Need Is Grub
Only around five hundred wild parrotbills exist today, in the remote rainforests of East Maui.
Wetland Chic: Ae‘o Stilts
Summer is the season to look for an exceptionally photogenic shorebird: ae‘o, the Hawaiian black-necked stilt.
Hala: The Hawaiian Aphrodisiac
When foraging for plants to kindle romance, the love-struck Hawaiian had no further to look than the distinctive Hala tree.
Spring Serenade
In springtime, Hawaiian petrels, or ‘ua‘u, return after many months at sea to their underground nests atop Maui’s 10,023-foot-tall volcano.
Haleakalā Silverswords
Summer is the prime time to observe an only-on-Maui botanical phenomenon: the blooming of the Haleakalā silverswords.
Living Calligraphy
In spring, mature akule (big-eyed scad) congregate in sheltered Hawaiian bays. Historically, Hawaiian villages posted lookouts to watch for whenever a big akule school came near shore.
Sex and the Coral Polyp
Few people think of corals as animals — which they are — and fewer folks contemplate their sex lives! Yet coral spawns are magical events.
Persimmons
Known in Hawaii as kaki, persimmons were cultivated by Maui’s early Japanese farmers and continue to be harvested at a handful of family farms.
Cliff-dwelling Cabbages
From September to November, star-shaped blossoms emerge, releasing a marvelous perfume reminiscent of violets or honeysuckle.
Seasonal Reds
Bright red poinsettias are a familiar sight in the Hawaiian Islands during the holidays.
Nene Nursery
In 1962, biologists reintroduced several breeding pairs of nene to Haleakala National Park, and now around 300 nene call the park home. Nene goslings take up to three months learning to fly and need special attention during this vulnerable time.
Vegetable Vampire
kauna‘oa, a Native Hawaiian medicinal plant and the official flower of Lanai, is as beautiful as it is deadly, earning it the ominous reputation as a vampire plant.
