Is there a good source for succulents in puna

[emorata]

hey all,

i've a succulent fanatic and when i come to visit want to put some more interesting plants around my place in beaches....any nurseries or plant places anyone can recommend for the more exotic aloes, esheverias, haworthias, etc? or should i just bring some cuttings on the plane - is there a restriction on how much i can bring as a carry on?

thanks in advance

noel

[Les C]

Bringing plants to Hawai'i is something that shouldn't be taken lightly. You should check their website for what's allowed and not allowed, procedures, etc. Call them if you have questions. Please don't consider sneaking anything in.

http://www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/Info/doa_impo...to-hawaii/

And above all, please make sure you're not providing access to the Islands for an unknown, unwanted hitchhiker.

Edited by - Les C on 05/09/2007 13:38:20

[Mitzi M]

I love succulents too, and if you live in a drier, sunny, lower elevation kind of place you should have no trouble with them here. If your place is rainier, you might consider keeping them undercover in pots with some serious drainage (I lost a few of mine outdoors to rot last winter)- But best of all, you'll be delighted to know that there are some beautiful succulents native to these islands! Most of these are native to coastal lowlands, and unfortunately, a lot of them have become rare in the wild due to thoughtless development. They are definitely worthwile to grow if you have a well-drained, dryish, sunny spot. Some good ones to try are: Akulikuli/Sesuvium portulacastrum, Naupaka Kai/Dwarf Naupaka, Hinahina Kahakai/Nama sandwicensis, Ohelo Kai/Lycium sandwicense, and (my personal favorite)'Ihi/Portulaca molokiniensis - (it has a really unusual rosette shape and bright yellow flowers held on stalks above the plant). If you live in a wetter place try 'Ala'ala wai nui/peperomia spp, and 'Ae'ae/Bacopa monnieri. You have a good chance of finding some of these plants at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden (Kona side) and in Puna at Rozettes in HPP (Ask for Nanette - she's wonderful and grows a lot of the natives there). You can check these and other great native plants out at the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project website: http://www.hear.org/plants/

Uluhe Design
Restoration Based Landscape Design for Hawai'i
uluhedesign@yahoo.com

[emorata]

thanks for all the good advise on the succulents.....Carey can i drop by for some of your cuttings when i'm in town in june, sounds like you need trimming with all your shrubs????

thanks also for the hints to the ethnobotanical garden.i've always wanted to visit there (maybe this time around) ....i've been to rozettes a number of times.

does anyone know if there is a cactus/succulent society on the island?

mahalo,

noel

[emorata]

thanks for the link to the ag customs site, it doesn't look like succulents are in the restricted category and if they are cuttings that makes it easier to allow, restrictions seem to cover mostly ag related to whats grown domestically in Hawaii and restricting export varieties of similar families.

[Hotzcatz]

There is usually several people with tables full of assorted succulents at all the big plant sales. I don't know the names of all of them, but they have quite a selection of them. The folks at Garden Exchange also have an assortment of succulents, too and probably most garden stores would have at least a few, although I haven't been paying attention.

[emorata]

Anyone know of any garden/plant sales in june when i come back to puna?

thanks again,

noel

[JerryCarr]

Aloha emorata. There are plant vendors every week at the Makuu Market, and there is usually a guy on the back row selling succulents. The Bear and I found some varieties that we did not have.

[emorata]

Aloha Jerry,

Thanks for the heads time on Makuu-its almost a religion for me to go to Makuu regularly and all the garage sales i have time to visit on the weekends...I really like supporting alot of the smaller sellers at makuu because they are proud of their businesses and offer alot of niched areas...i also like supporting the one vendor who sells her plants to support a local non-profit charity.

best,

noel

[mella l]

I also love the succulents! In Disneyland on the Story Book Boat ride, you are taken by a hillside that looks like a quilt and in each quilt section is a different succulent. So beautiful the variety of colors and textures!

mella l