02-10-2013, 09:22 AM
There are many resources to investigate in your search...
Living in the lower elevations like Orchidland, the first stop I would recommend is the Big Island Assoc. nurseries (BIAN) membership directory to find lower elevation nurseries that have native plant stock (lets face it, if no one has the plant stock you would like...it really does not matter what is the BEST....) their link:
http://www.hawaiiplants.org/?page_id=8
I know Allie Atkins of Lehua Lena (in the BIAN Directory) & have gotten good plants stock from her (and others) & her elevation in HA is close-ish to Orchidland
Volcano Art Center often has native plant workshops & even some handouts on natives (though mostly tailored to the Volcano area
The Pac. Islands Insts. of Forestry on Nowelo in Hilo, has some good info, and can be another resource to brain-pick:
http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/locations/hilo/
The Hawaii Div of Forestry & Wildlife on Kawili in Hilo is other resource & has the annual Arbor Day native plant sale in the fall:
http://dofawha.org/
Of course UH-Hilo has many brains to pick...and the HCC sponsored Earth Day fair day the UH Hilo campus is a way to even pick up some native plants & info... do not have the info yet for that, but for almost 1/4 century they have had it in mid April....
Living in the lower elevations like Orchidland, the first stop I would recommend is the Big Island Assoc. nurseries (BIAN) membership directory to find lower elevation nurseries that have native plant stock (lets face it, if no one has the plant stock you would like...it really does not matter what is the BEST....) their link:
http://www.hawaiiplants.org/?page_id=8
I know Allie Atkins of Lehua Lena (in the BIAN Directory) & have gotten good plants stock from her (and others) & her elevation in HA is close-ish to Orchidland
Volcano Art Center often has native plant workshops & even some handouts on natives (though mostly tailored to the Volcano area
The Pac. Islands Insts. of Forestry on Nowelo in Hilo, has some good info, and can be another resource to brain-pick:
http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/locations/hilo/
The Hawaii Div of Forestry & Wildlife on Kawili in Hilo is other resource & has the annual Arbor Day native plant sale in the fall:
http://dofawha.org/
Of course UH-Hilo has many brains to pick...and the HCC sponsored Earth Day fair day the UH Hilo campus is a way to even pick up some native plants & info... do not have the info yet for that, but for almost 1/4 century they have had it in mid April....