A Coconut Grove in Hawaii

Coconut Palms (Cocos nucifera)

Location:  Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, Big Island, Hawaii

This is a grove of Coconut Palms (Cocos nucifera) at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, on the Big Island of Hawaii.  The Hawaiian name for the Coconut Palm is Niu.  Coconut Palms and Hawaii seem synonymous in many people's minds, but they are not endemic plants.  Early Polynesian voyagers who visited and ultimately settled the Hawaiian Islands centuries ago are believed to have brought coconuts with them from their South Seas homelands.

Coconut Palms are popular landscape and garden trees in Hawaii, but they really only grow naturally along the coastline.   Their seeds -- the coconuts -- are much too large and heavy to be carried inland by birds or animals or the wind, so the only way they are naturally distributed is by rolling or falling into the ocean, and then washing ashore again to root at another beach.  If you see a Coconut Palm anywhere but at the beach, you will know it has been brought there by humans.

Royal Poinciana in Profusion

Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Last week for Ruby Tuesday I posted a photo of a single Royal Poinciana blossom.  Here is another, surrounded by another and another and another!  When these trees flower, they are completely covered with a dense profusion of blossoms.  At this time of year, when seen from a distance, Royal Poinciana trees look like bright scarlet clouds perched on a trunk.

Five Minutes 'Til Gecko Time

Gold Dust Day Gecko (Phelsuma laticauda laticauda)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

I headed out my back door and, as I often do, I glanced up at our outdoor clock as I crossed the back porch.  There, peeking out from its new hiding place behind the clock, was a little Gold Dust Day Gecko (Phelsuma laticauda laticauda).  Luckily I had my camera handy, and I was able to get this one shot before the little guy darted away.

In case you haven't seen it, here is a macro shot of this same lizard.

Candy Wind Hibiscus

'Candy Wind' Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This cheerful pink hibiscus blossom with the scarlet throat is a patented cultivar, a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Florida by plant breeder Wendy R. Bergman.   The Candy Wind Hibiscus is just one of Wendy's creations.

We bought the plant from a local garden shop here in Hawaii.  It has been flourishing in our garden for nearly a decade.

Fresh Mint from the Garden

Mint (Mentha sp.)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Several years ago, my neighbor gave me a mint plant in a small pot to look after for her while she was away for the summer.  The plant grew steadily, and we finally transferred it to a larger pot.  When my friend returned she was amazed at how much the little mint plant had grown.  She said, "I think that plant likes you better than it liked me, so you should keep it."

It has since been repotted twice more, and it's still flourishing in the middle of my herb garden.

Royal Poinciana Blossom

Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Back in May, I posted a photo of buds on a branch of a Royal Poinciana tree in my garden.  The trees now are in full bloom, bearing masses of brilliant red-orange blossoms.    In this wide-angle photo of my back garden, you can see the Royal Poincianas in the background.  Today's photo shows what an individual blossom looks like.

Moon and Clouds

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This photo was taken a few days ago, just before sunset.   The moon had just risen over the garden, and some grey clouds were starting to roll in.  The bougainvillea, at left, made a nice contrast to the greying sky.

Gold Dust Day Gecko

Gold Dust Day Gecko (Phelsuma laticauda laticauda)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This is the Gold Dust Day Gecko (Phelsuma laticauda laticauda) -- probably the most colorful lizard living in Hawaii.  A couple of months ago I posted a macro image of a Gold Dust Day Gecko's face, so I thought it was time now for a 'full body' specimen shot.  When you look at this photo, you will understand how these lizards got their common name, Gold Dust.

Princess Michiko Hibiscus

Princess Michiko Hibiscus

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This is the Princess Michiko hibiscus, another of the 28 varieties of hibiscus in my garden.  Most of our hibiscus varieties bloom continuously, but the Princess Michiko only blooms now and then (like the Ecstasy hibiscus, which I posted back in April).  The Princess Michiko blossom is much more complex than most hibiscus flowers.

Summer Garden, Hawaii

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

I have been away from home for weeks, and although I saw some pretty sights during my travels, it's always nice to get back to Hawaii.  This is my back garden on the day I returned from my trip.  In my absence all the flowering trees and shrubs in the garden blossomed forth, quite literally, greeting me with a riot of color.

Cholla Cactus

Cholla Cactus (Opuntia bigelovii)

Location:  Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA

This Cholla Cactus (Opuntia bigelovii) is sometimes called the Teddy Bear Cholla, because its dense spines make it look rather fuzzy, especially from a distance.  This cactus is native to the Sonoran Desert.

Prickly Pear Cactus - Close-up View

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia engelmannii)

Location:  Sonoran Desrt, Arizona, USA

Yesterday I posted a photo of a Prickly Pear cactus (Opuntia engelmannii), from the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.  Here is a close-up shot of the Prickly Pear.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia engelmannii)

Location: Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA

The Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) is another common cactus found in Arizona's Saguaro National Park.   Unlike the Giant Saguaro, which grows very tall, the Prickly Pear grows in shrubby clumps.   Its spines are long and straight, like needles*.   In the spring, the Prickly Pear bears bright yellow flowers.

* Here's a macro photo of the Prickly Pear, showing its long spines.

Giant Saguaro

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

Location: Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA

The Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) is a large tree-like cactus found in the Sonoran Desert.   In fact, the Saguaro cactus grows naturally only in the Sonoran Desert.

I took this photo while hiking in the Saguaro National Park, located in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson, Arizona.  According to information on the Saguaro National Park website:

An adult saguaro is generally considered to be about 125 years of age. It may weigh 6 tons or more and be as tall as 50 feet. The average life span of a saguaro is probably 150 - 175 years of age. However, biologists believe that some plants may live over 200 years.

This specimen was about 20 feet tall.

Sonoran Desert, Arizona

Sonoran Desert plant life

Location:  Arizona, USA

The Sonoran Desert covers most of the southern half of Arizona, the southeast corner of California, and stretches into northern Mexico.  This is not the kind of desert that is covered by a vast expanse of sand dunes, devoid of plant life.  The Sonoran Desert is lush with with many species of cactus, succulents, and shrubs.  This scene, shot in southern Arizona, shows a typical variety of plant life in the Sonoran Desert.