HAWAI'I GARDENS
Celebrate Year of the Hawaiian Forest

By Heidi Bornhorst

Our native forests need care and appreciation. Forest benefits include clean air and water, recreation areas, a habitat for native species found only in Hawai'i, plants for cultural practices and woods for fine arts.

"Perhaps the most serious challenge is the lack of funds for pro-active management and protection of our native Hawaiian forests," said Mike Buck, administrator of the state's Department of Land & Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

Hawaiian forests are complex, unique and imperiled. This is the official year of the Hawaiian forest, with many activities planned in which to participate and celebrate:

• A Year of the Hawaiian Forest poster contest which is open to all grades. This is an opportunity for educators to illustrate key principles related to the Hawaiian forest and learn more about our precious resources. For more information and an activity packet contact Jolie Wanger at 587-4188, jolie@dofaw.net; or Jackie Ralya at 672-5167, jralya@hawaii.rr.com. Entry deadline is May 1.
• The Windward Watershed Symposium, part two, takes place at Brigham Young University-Hawai'i, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. tomorrow. The theme is "Sustainability in Our Communities: How To Get From Here to There." Information: Shannon Wood, editor@koolaunews.com.

What's in bloom

A blast of silver: The silver trumpet trees, Tabebuia argentea, are spectacular this year. I don't think I have ever seen them more bountiful and full, with big yellow balls of blossoms. This tropical American native was brought to Hawai'i by the former director of Foster Botanical Garden, Harold Lyon. He thought Tabebuia would be a great flowering tree for Hawai'i gardens, and he was right. A fine collection of these plants exists at Foster garden and also at every public school in Hawai'i, thanks to horticulturist Paul Chang, who first trained at the Honolulu Botanical Gardens.

Visiting Maui (which could use a lot more large, flowering trees) recently, for a native plant workshop, the silver trumpets were vibrant in residential areas like Kahului and Kihei. Maui's trees are maybe more spectacular and holding up longer than those on O'ahu because Maui has not had the rain and winds we've had here. Winds blow the flowers off early, and the rain batters the fragile lace.

Since the blooming period is so short, we ask all maintenance gardeners (and their supervisors) — don't rake them up right away, they won't be there long. Let us all enjoy that ephemeral beauty.

I first noticed the silver trumpet trees spilling out over the stone wall along the Pali Highway at the Philippines Consulate (near Wyllie Street). Then I noticed what a nice companion planting accompanied the Tabebuias. Green and yellow Acalypha, golden be-still trees and the golden fruited or areca palm, Dypsis madagascariensis, which also has a golden yellow cast to its fronds.

Lavender and gold for spring: Many flowers are in bloom, including several varieties of orchid. Lavender with fragrant pendant blossoms, honohono orchids provide the old-fashioned perfume of the season. Hang them from a tree outside your bedroom window and inhale the fragrance for a sweet night's sleep.

Phaleonopsis, the butterfly or moth orchid, also is abundant right now. These come in many shades of lavender and white, combined with the newer hybrids that have golden and orange hues and stripes.

One of my favorite roadside plantings is along the H-1 Freeway near 6th Avenue: There are several species of gold trees that just love to bloom. They are accented by yellow plumeria, be-still tree and kolomona. All they need are a few rainbow showers and native wiliwili to provide blooms all year round.

Other spring bloomers: Stephanotis, or pua male, is abundant and spilling over chain-link fences and stone walls in sunnier areas across the Islands.

Pakalana seems slow this year. Does anyone have it blooming yet?

Jacaranda trees are a lovely sight in upcountry Maui. They make a gorgeous flowering street tree in Pukalani. While they struggle in the lowlands, they look good at higher elevations (and can also be somewhat weed-like).

Side note: We saw some great old-fashioned Hawaiian banana varieties at the Maui Nui Botanic Garden (the former Maui Zoo, and for more than 20 years, an awesome botanical garden back from the time of founder Rene Silva); they were thriving, well-mulched, interplanted beautifully with other canoe plants, and obviously well tended and nurtured by the small yet dedicated staff.

Garden tip

It's time to prune and shape your poinsettias. The gardener's rule of thumbs is: Prune poinsettia in April and August. If you have the old-fashioned hedge type, celebrate and perpetuate them (make cuttings and share), as they are becoming less common. Many of us miss the hedge that the Board of Water Supply used to maintain along the Pali Highway. Bougain-villea is a poor substitute.

The potted ones also can be pruned back and shaped. Poinsettia like fertilizer and good soil, so you can fertilize with a balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20 and top this with some good quality, made-in-Hawai'i compost.

Heidi Bornhorst is a sustainable landscape consultant.