HAWAI'I GARDENS
New monkeypod tree a blessing for the zoo

By Heidi Bornhorst

A monkeypod tree, properly cared for, grows into a long-lived source of shade and beauty.

A new monkeypod tree was planted on Jan. 15 in the zoo's stage lawn area, opposite the elephants. This was a happy day for horticulturist Ron Kodama, assistant director Tommy Higashino and all the zoo 'ohana. It got a nice blessing from the rain.

The new tree is about 18 feet tall. This is a good size of tree to install. The root system is often stronger on smaller trees. (Always try to examine the roots of trees you plant to make sure they are not coiled and wrapped around each other from being in a pot too long. You also want to look for solid, healthy roots that are free of insects.) It should grow rapidly in its new home.

Kodama said that the monkeypod (Samanea saman) came from the city's Waiawa nursery and was expertly planted by Dickie Honjio and his crew from the Green Thumb landscaping company.

One of the sadder days at the zoo came when an old elephant earpod tree (Enterlobium cyclocarpum) had to be cut down for health and safety reasons. The old way of pruning, with flush cuts and the use of black-tar pruning paint, contributed to the ill health of the earpod tree. Now we know better. We don't make flush cuts, top trees or apply pruning paint. With this updated tree knowledge, the young monkeypod should have a long and healthy life.

A fun thing to do is take a picture of the tree and then take more photos as it grows. This is especially fun and educational for our keiki.

Cascades of 'ulei

'Ulei is a Hawaiian plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It is a gorgeous and tough plant. You see it in rugged, steep, eroded places where no other native plant grows and few plants grow at all. You also see it growing in gardens.

'Ulei has flexible, almost vinelike branches. In old times, they were curved and bent into useful items such as mini fishnets. The older strong-wooded branches were excellent for carrying poles and building hale, or huts.

These flexible stems are also useful in the garden, where you can train 'ulei as a trellis, into espaliered shapes, or as an excellent bank covering plant and for erosion control.

We were on Moloka'i recently and saw absolute cascades of gorgeous thriving 'ulei. At the head of famous Halawa Valley you can see thickets of 'ulei, blowing gracefully in the wind. As you go down into the valley, the cliff faces are thick with 'ulei.

'Ulei has shiny green, pinnate (feather shaped) leaves and smallish, fragrant white flowers. The pollinated flowers form berrylike fruit. The fruits are green and then become white, with hints of purple, when ripe. Inside are many tiny seeds. You can grow new 'ulei plants from these seeds.

This is a plant that we should see more of in Hawai'i's gardens. It has all the characteristics we need. I have seen it trimmed as a hedge, grown up a decorative trellis and as a ground cover.One of my neighbors has a lovely shaped specimen in her low-maintenance, less-thirsty garden. The branches come up like a fountain and then cascade enchantingly into her dwarf mondo ground cover. She trained the soft young stems over boulders, and then removed the boulders when the stems had hardened. There is so much great horticulture going on out there! Let's grow natives!