NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
Kauai Mini Golf in Kilauea has made a really fun course and combined it with a botanical garden that conveys the history of Hawaii .
Members of the Kauai Native Plant Society (KNPS) were hosted at Kauai Mini Golf with a private tour given by Bino Castelo, landscape artist and native plant advocate.
KNPS is well represented here
Bino is right of center in jeans - proud of his excellent work at the mini-golf
The folks with their hats on in the back row are friends from S. California, Kris & Glenn Cox.
The first three holes represent native plants, those that arrived on the islands before humans.
Kokio Ke'oke'o (co-kee-oh cay-oh-cay-oh)
native white hibiscus, the only scented hibiscus
native white hibiscus, the only scented hibiscus
The next three holes on the course feature plants that the first Polynesians brought.
Manini Banana
The Polynesians brought many plants with them and then cultivated many strains as they established themselves as Hawaiian. Bananas, sugar cane, and taro are all examples of plants that were known to have hundreds of varieties by the point of contact with the west.
Manini or Convict tangs
Easy to see the relationship to a bunch of bananas and a bunch of fish
Easy to see the relationship to a bunch of bananas and a bunch of fish
Two of the most amazing things about the Hawaiians were their observation skills in nature and their cleverness in naming. It is well known that there is a correspondence with creatures of the sea and land. The manini (mah-nee-nee) is a common schooling reef fish and striped varieties of both taro, and in this case banana, were also named for the stripes.
The golf course has plantation crops like pineapple, sugar cane, and coffee growing. From there it continues with representations from the different ethnic groups that came as laborers to the islands, then the kinds of plants the aunties may have had in their own yards just a few years ago, and Hawaii
courtesy Stacey Donnelly
Pineapple - fruit of a bromeliad
Pineapple - fruit of a bromeliad
Coffee - loaded with unripe berries, they will turn bright red
courtesy Stacey Donnelly
Papaya - a modern crop
Since the history represented at the course corresponds with the book I am writing, I have followed the golf/garden since it opened and it is filling in nicely with new additions all the time. Below I have photos of a native plant, the uki'uki in the lily family.
Uki'uki (oo-kee oo-kee)
This one was taken at 4000 feet elevation in its native Kauai mesic forest.
Hawaiians did not name anything they didn't use and this berry was used for dye.
Hawaiians did not name anything they didn't use and this berry was used for dye.
Uki'uki
This is the same plant at about 200 feet elevation near the coast - and it gets organic fertilizer and pest control in the Kauai Mini-Golf botanical garden. Both are thriving while the gardened ones are more plump.
In discussions with Bino, his agenda is to show people how lovely it can be to landscape with native plants. I'm sure all of us from Kauai Native Plant Society agree.
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