ALONG ROADS, IN CITIES

The following photos show trees, flowers, and ferns growing in various landscapes - humid, arid, coastal, etc.

They were taken over several years with different cameras, so some are better than others.

Some trees can grow very large in Hawaii, notably banyans in cities. So let's start with those trees.

This tree on the left is the Giant Banyan tree in Lahaina, Maui. Planted in 1873, it's now part of Banyan Tree Park. The photo was taken in 2003, during a craft fair from local artisans.
 

This banyan in downtown Hilo was photographed in 2006.

The two photos above show the large banyan tree at the International Market Place in Waikiki, before the 2013 major renovations. The tree was preserved.

There is another very large banyan at Ala Moana Regional Park in Waikiki. See that page for photos.

 This (very bad) photo was taken in 2003, at the end of the road to South Point, Big Island. Those trees clearly show the wind direction. They're called 'trade wind trees'.

There's even (at least) one scientific article written about the wind-shaped trees on Hawaii. For photos of other wind-shaped trees, see the page for Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail.

Another tree that can grow very large is the ficus tree, such as this one on the left, on Ali'i Drive in Kailua-Kona, Big Island.

Some of those trees are remarkable for their buttress roots, and examples will be found on other pages of this website.

This photo (taken in 2009) on the left shows a 'man in the wires', from a vine that crept up a pole. Then someone added a buoy on top. It was located on the northwest side of the Farrington Highway in Oahu.

It eventually was removed for safety reasons, having become a distraction to drivers in a road curve with no shoulders to park on.

Cook pines - not to be confused with Norfolk pines - have been planted in many places in Hawaii, and from there they just kept spreading. The ones shown here are growing in Maui.

The Cook pine has a peculiar trait, that of leaning toward the Equator. A noticeable example of this 'penchant' is located in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia. The photo of the pine on that page was taken in 2013.

Here is a sample of plumeria flowers. They are very fragrant and used in cosmetics and to make leis.

Although the flower appears closely linked with Hawaii, it is actually native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Another flower that is associated with Hawaii is the hibiscus. The native yellow variety is the State flower. They are worn in the hair by women. There are hundreds of varieties. Several of those beautiful flowers will be shown through this website.

 Mango trees are used as ornamentals along streets, so that when the fruits are ripe, all a person has to do is pick them up on the sidewalks. This particular tree on the left is in Honolulu.

This 'ostrich'-like plant was photographed on the Big Island. I've never been able to find its name.

Golden Shower tree, Kailua, Oahu

Unripe coconuts

For beautiful paintings of flowers and landscapes, please visit this website:

https://www.clemencestlaurent.com/