Mophead Hydrangea

Hydrangea

There are two forms of Hydrangea flower clusters: round, flat flower heads called lacecaps; and round, mounded flower heads called mopheads.  This is an example of a mophead Hydrangea.

The blossom in the photo is from a Hydrangea that flourishes in front of my house in Colorado.  It blooms all summer, and requires very little care beyond making sure it has enough water.

Ecstasy Hibiscus Macro

Ecstasy Hibiscus - photographed in Hawaii

This is a macro photo of  'Ecstasy' --  one of my favorite Hibiscus varieties.  Here are some earlier photos of the Ecstasy Hibiscus:

• A Hibiscus called 'Ecstasy'
• More 'Ecstasy' from the garden
• A double portion of 'Ecstasy'

Cool Wind tropical hibiscus

'Cool Wind' tropical hibiscus variety

Location:  Kohala Coast, Hawaii

This hibiscus variety is called Cool Wind.  The blossoms are relatively large -- about five inches across. This is a tropical hibiscus variety that does not tolerate frost.  However, in cooler climates the Cool Wind hibiscus can be grown indoors.

Morning Glory Hibiscus

'Morning Glory' tropical hibiscus variety

Location:  Kohala Coast, Hawaii

This hibiscus variety is known as Morning Glory.  The shrub produces large, showy blossoms with ruffled edges.  A tropical variety, the Morning Glory hibiscus does well in Hawaii, bearing blossoms year-round.

Powder Puff Hibiscus

Powder Puff Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Monsa')

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This lovely hibiscus has been flourishing in our garden in Hawaii for several years.  The plant bears double, puff-ball shaped blossoms.  The flowers are ivory-white, but some of the petals have a pinkish tinge.

The Powder Puff hibiscus was developed and introduced by the Monrovia horticultural company.  

Hula Girl tropical hibiscus blossom

Hula Girl hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinesis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This is the 'Hula Girl' tropical hibiscus , a cultivar of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.  Among the many varieties of hibiscus in our garden in Hawaii, this one produces the largest blossoms -- about six inches (15 cm) across.  It is one of our favorites.

In case you are wondering about the name, this hibiscus variety is often worn by hula dancers in their hair, or tucked behind the ear.  This flower is chosen for practical reasons:  Unlike most hibiscus, these large yellow blossoms stay fresh-looking for quite awhile after they are picked, thus they are preferred by hula dancers.

Hula Girl tropical hibiscus

Hula Girl hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinesis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This tropical hibiscus blossom is called Hula Girl.  Unlike most hibiscus varieties, the blossoms of this cultivar do not immediately wilt when picked from the bush.  Because the blossoms usually stay fresh for awhile after picking, they can be worn in the hair or pinned to clothing.  They are thus favored by hula dancers who sometimes wear these blossoms as a part of their costume.   It is said that this is how the Hula Girl hibiscus acquired its common name.

A cultivar of Hibiscus rosa-sinesis, the Hula Girl is one of the hardier hibiscus varieties in our garden. The blossoms are large -- nearly six inches (15 cm) across.

Bright morning with altocumulus clouds

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

The early morning light was bright, even though the sky over our garden was partly covered by these altocumulus clouds.  The flowering tree in the foreground is a Rainbow Plumeria.

More 'Ecstasy' from the garden

'Ecstasy' hibiscus

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This is 'Ecstasy', a tropical hibiscus in our garden.  I know I've posted photos of this variety before, but the blossoms have such vivid color that I can't stop taking pictures of them.

Close-up: Areca Palm Trunk

Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

On the side of our house that faces the road, we have a palm garden.  Among the several palm species there is a thick stand of Areca palms (Dypsis lutescens), serving as a privacy screen.  The Areca's leaves, or fronds, also provide shade for that side of the house in the morning.

The trunks of Arecas resemble bamboo.  This close-up photo shows a section of the trunk of one of our Areca palms.

Saffron Finch: A splash of bright yellow among the greens

Male Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

I was out in the garden taking photos of flowers with my macro lens.  I heard a chirp somewhere behind me, and when I turned around I saw this male Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola) perched on top of a bush about ten meters away.  I wasn't sure if I could capture him from that distance, but decided to give it a try.  This image -- cropped from a larger frame -- was the result.

Regular visitors to this blog may remember some earlier photos I posted of this male Saffron Finch and his less colorful mate.

Royal Poinciana: Mature seed pod

Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Last year I posted a photo of an immature green seed pod on one of our Royal Poinciana trees.  The immature seed pods are green and soft, but as they ripen, they become brown and hard.  Today's photo shows a mature Royal Poinciana seed pod.

Eventually the pods will drop from the trees onto the ground, unless they are removed ahead of time.  If you pick up and shake one of these mature seed pods, you will hear the seeds inside rattle against the hard shell of the pod.  The seed pods are are between 12 and 18 inches long (about 30 to 45 cm).  Seed pods like this are characteristic of trees in this family (Fabaceae).

Niu Leka - a dwarf coconut palm

Niu Leka (Cocos nucifera cultivar)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Coconut trees are popular in the tropics, but they can prove problematic in public areas and around houses.   The standard coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) grows quite tall.  This makes harvesting the coconuts rather difficult, and it also creates a hazard when coconuts and dead branches/fronds spontaneously drop from the trees.   Both the nuts and the palm branches are heavy and can injure people or damage property when they drop.  (I once saw a branch from a tall coconut tree drop onto a parked car, seriously denting the roof!)

One solution is to choose a dwarf cultivar of the coconut tree.   The one pictured here is known as Niu Leka.   This variety is said to have originated in the South Pacific.  As a result, it is sometimes called either the Fiji Dwarf, or the Samoan Dwarf (take your pick!).  Regardless of which common name you choose, it is a cultivar of Cocos nucifera.  The ones we see locally in Hawaii, like the one in the photo, usually grow to a maximum height of around 20 feet, making the job of trimming them much simpler.  The coconuts on these trees also are easier to reach.

Flowers on a Golden Shower Tree

Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

I was outdoors trying to photograph some birds.  They were not cooperating.  They kept hiding in the trees!  Not to be defeated, I decided to take some pictures of the flowering trees instead.  Here is one of those shots.

These are the flowers on a Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula).  The blossoms grow in pendulous clusters called a 'racemes' -- sort of like an upside-down bouquet.  When fully in bloom, the tree looks like a golden cloud from a distance.  Later, long bean-shaped seed pods will replace the flowers.

Shower trees are native to south Asia, but are very popular here in Hawaii where they are seen along streets, and in parks, as well as in people's gardens.  They come in several color varieties.

Flowers on a Mango Tree

Name: Mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

When our mango trees are in flower, two things are certain: a) delicious fruit is on its way; b) I will be sneezing until the fruit replaces the blossoms.   I am allergic to mango pollen, but fortunately I am not allergic to the wonderful fruit!

Tip for the allergy-prone from someone who has learned the hard way:  Never hang your freshly laundered bedsheets out to dry on a clothesline strung under a mango tree that is in bloom! ;-)

Bee wings, be still!

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

At last, I was able to get a photo of the wings of a honey bee.  I've been taking a lot of photos of the honey bees that visit the cactus flowers in my neighbor's garden.  Several came out well, except that the wings were just a blur.  Solution: take a photo of a bee after it lands on a flower.  Wings are still, so no blur.

Honey bee close-up

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

I returned to my neighbor's garden to take more photos of the honey bees harvesting pollen from some cactus flowers.  I cropped this image from a larger photo.  It shows quite a bit of detail on the bee, including a dusting of pollen grains on its body, but despite the fast shutter speed, I didn't capture the rapidly beating wings!

Singapore Plumeria (Plumeria obtusa)

Singapore Plumeria (Plumeria obtusa)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Here is another variety of Plumeria from our garden.  This variety is known locally as Singapore Plumeria (Plumeria obtusa).  Unlike other Plumeria varieties, the Singapore Plumeria is an evergreen. I ts dark green leaves are shiny and have rounded tips, whereas the leaves on other varieties are paler, more drab, and have pointy tips.  In my opinion, the fragrance of the Singapore Plumeria blossoms is superior to the other varieties -- although they all smell wonderful!

In case you may have missed them, here are some photos of other Plumeria varieties: Pink / Rainbow / Lueang Sakhon.  Note: In some parts of the world the Plumeria is known as Frangipani.

Honey bee approaching a cactus flower

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

As I passed by my neighbor's garden, I noticed a cactus (species unknown) with big, white flowers.  The local honey bees have noticed the cactus flowers, too.   They were busily gathering pollen from the blossoms.

Banana Flower

Banana (Musa sp.)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Our banana trees are flowering, and some are beginning to fruit.  Right now, the newly formed green bananas are only about three inches (8 cm) long.  Once they have grown to their full size, they will begin to turn yellow.   We like to eat them before they over-ripen, so when the fruit is about half-yellow, a 'hand' at a time will be cut from the tree.

We love having bananas fresh from the garden.  The only problem is that so many seem to ripen at once, yielding more than we can eat before they spoil.  When faced with an oversupply, we share them with neighbors, sometimes trading the bananas for types of fruits we don't grow.