Ho`olawa Farms

One of the most beautiful Native Plant Farms in the state of Hawaii is Ho`olawa Farms in Haiku, Maui.
I visited this beautiful place in 2004 while researching for my book Amaryllis, Amaryllis, How Does Your Garden Grow? “Organincally, of Course!”  

I met Anna Palomino, who gave me a personal tour explaining many of the plants which were endangered or near extinct and those that were being propagated on Maui. Some were native to Kauai, others to East Maui  and various climates and different elevations of the Hawaiian Islands. It is an amazing experience to imagine the islands before human beings stepped foot here.  When one pictures the land untouched it is a calming experience to the soul and spirit. I would love to see more natives planted throughout all islands. She said that many of the seeds are stored in the seed bank at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai.

There was a story about Pele’s sister Hi`iaka called Pa`u Hi`iaka (Skirt of Pele’s sister) about a ground covering that was thick enough to save her from the sea. Olulu, or “Cabbage on a baseball bat” is a beautiful large leafed plant successfully planted at Ho`olawa Farms. Aki Aki is a native grass found at South Point on the Big Island that is drought resistant and being planted in various areas on Maui along the highways.

You can see many images of the plants grown here at Ho`olawa Farms.