Dr. Nigel Taylor, director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, is on our island touring local gardens and nurseries. He has accepted an invitation to give a presentation on the botanic garden and the amazing garden city of Singapore. Even though
Dr. Nigel Taylor, director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, is on our island touring local gardens and nurseries. He has accepted an invitation to give a presentation on the botanic garden and the amazing garden city of Singapore. Even though the Hawaii Island Palm Society is hosting the program, he will be speaking on more than palms. Botanic gardens like those in Singapore and Hawaii have had impact on tropical agriculture and landscaping throughout the world. He will share with us how the exploration, discovery, cultivation and distribution of thousands of species has saved many from extinction. These are not only found in botanical collections, but in our home gardens. Mark 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, Room UCB 100 on your calendar and don’t miss the opportunity to meet and and hear Taylor as he takes you on a botanical exploration of Singapore and its famous gardens.
Hawaii’s special magic has been created with flowering shrubs and trees from all over the world. We are famous for our bold tropical flowers and foliage. When folks from other parts of the world think about Hawaiian gardens, they visualize coconut palms, orchids, anthuriums, heliconias, Kona coffee, plumeria, macadamia trees and more. In recent years, we have added vanilla, cacao and a long list of other tropical taste treats to the list. We are also known for tropical vireya rhododendrons, bamboos and even carnivorous plants. However, almost all that we find in Hawaiian gardens and farms are from some other part of the world. Many have been hybridized or improved by researchers at the University of Hawaii and commercial horticulturists in private business.
One example is that of anthuriums. During most of the 20th century, these unusual plants have been bred by Hawaii’s researchers and growers to produce a myriad spectacular flowering plants. Today, new varieties and species are being added to the list and can be found at local nurseries and garden shops. Some are notable for foliage like anthurium cupulispathum, with leaves almost six feet long. There are more than 500 species of anthurium. Some are vine like and others form a rosette shaped like a bird nest and may reach eight feet across. We will be seeing many more varieties and species in the future thanks to innovative local growers.
When it comes to fragrance, the scent of flowers perfumes the air and sets a tropical, romantic mood whether you live mauka or makai. When visitors to our islands step off the plane or ship, the first thing they notice is the sweet smell of flowers. By adding more flowering plants to your area, you can combat unpleasant smells like car exhaust fumes or rubbish cans. There are many good choices for your garden. The scent of orange blossoms and, of course, grapefruit, lime, lemon, and tangerine blossoms all have delicious fragrance. During the longer days of summer, many species of ginger are in full bloom and in the evening white, yellow and rose flowered angel trumpets make for perfect garden romance.
But there are many other less known and more varied plants that can add to our gardens. All the plants listed below have fragrant flowers. Some of them such as plumeria, night blooming jasmine, fragrant dracaena, gardenia and mock orange are equipped with fragrance so potent that it can fill every inch of garden air space and drift into the house, too. Others like the spider lily produce more subtle perfumes that usually won’t travel quite as far and are best appreciated at close range. There are dozens of species of ginger and let us not forget our native alahee and hoawa available at some nurseries.
There are many kinds of jasmine as well as several other plants called by that name — including star jasmine and orange jasmine (mock orange) that are not jasmines at all. There are several true jasmines that bloom with fragrant flowers. Jasminum ilicifolium and jasminum multiflorum are two shrubs used as foundation plantings. They may also be grown as vines and will bloom more profusely.
Star jasmine (trachelospermum jasminoides) is a viny shrub. Tie this plant to a post, fence, or some other support and it will climb; or pinch out branch tips and it will cover the ground. The clusters of star-shaped, white flowers contrast nicely with shiny dark green leaves. This vine is sometimes referred to as maile jasmine because the leaves resemble maile.
Mock orange (murraya paniculata) or orange jasmine is a member of the citrus family and is an attractive evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy green pinnately-compound leaves. The white, very fragrant flowers are produced at intervals throughout the year, followed by clusters of red ovoid fruit. It is a vigorous grower and may be used as a small tree, an informal high hedge or screen, or may be trimmed to a formal shape.
Night blooming jasmine (cestrum nocturnum) produces flowers with a powerful scent. A single plant per garden should be plenty. These evergreen shrubs grow 6-8 feet tall or more and bloom off and on throughout the year.
The ever popular plumeria should be found in most gardens, but a close relative is rare. It is known as tabernaemontana or cinnamon gardenia and was originally introduced by Paul Weissich in 1960 from Africa. Flowers are produced all during the year and have a cinnamon fragrance. The odor is delicate, but one or two flowers perfume the whole garden. Close relatives are ervatamia (crepe jasmine) cerbera, stemmadenia and oleander.
And don’t forget, many of the wonderful plant materials that make up our Hawaiian gardens came from the efforts of plant explorers and botanic gardens that saved them from possible extinction.
