Hawaiian flowers, Exotic, and Tropical plants

It is hard to picture Hawaii without seeing sapphire blue oceans, lush green tropics, and exotic flowers.  You walk off the plane, and are greeted with a lei made of flowers. Your hotel’s greeting area is packed with flowers. The tropical drink you order at the bar comes complete with… you guessed it, a flower! There is something inherently festive about Hawaiian flowers which make them desirable not only there, but in your home as well.

            The most commonly known Hawaiian flower is the hibiscus. It is the state flower of Hawaii, and is the flower traditionally tucked behind the ear of a hula dance, or in exotic flower arrangements. However hibiscus’s history on the islands is not all that extensive. The hibiscus family is native to Asia and the pacific islands. It was imported from Asia with the rise of trade to the islands and found a firm ecological foothold quickly. There are now several strains of hibiscus native to Hawaii.

            Another species of tropical flower is the Orchid. This family is the largest flowering plant family on earth. It has more than 22,000 distinct species! One of the most famous orchids is vanilla. Of those species there are only a few dozen native to Hawaii. Orchids are perennial plants that have a mythos of being hard to care for among gardeners. However they can be a very rewarding house plant to keep, with gorgeous blooms awaiting those with those who choose to grow them.

            The genus Heliconia has several hundred species of flowers within it, some of which are referred to as false birds of paradise. This name is well earned, as the flowers bear a striking resemblance to the actual bird of paradise flowers, or strelitzia. While some types of Heliconia are native to Hawaii, strelitzia was imported there from its native habitat of Africa.

Plumeria flowers are one of the traditional flowers used to create leis. They are native to the sub tropic Americas, including the Hawaiian Islands. They have a heady fragrance, which has been used to create perfumes.  They have small pink, all white, or white with yellow centered flowers
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            Most of the Hawaiian flora is limited to the fully tropic region, though some native species also live in sub tropic climates. This makes them poor candidates for your average flower bed. However they are beautiful and exotic, and will thrive in a greenhouse if given plenty of water.  The average yearly rainfall for one island is 460 inches, and plants there have adapted to utilize that volume of water.

            In fact, one of the saddening things about Hawaiian ecology is the threat alien species pose to the native ones. It is estimated that 75% of global extinction has occurred on tropical islands like Hawaii. On the islands alone, more than half of the bird species have become extinct, and the plants are under siege from foreign invaders. For this reason strict import controls have been implemented on Hawaii, and incoming luggage is subject to search. It is hoped this helps stop us from losing any more beautiful flowers.

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