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Aloha!
We'll be coming to see our lot in Eden Roc in May, and I was wondering if there are any books or the like available there which may have pictures and descriptions of what plants we will find on our property. I'd like to know the difference between a "weed" and what would be worth salvaging on the lot. We're staying in Hilo, so if you know of a bookstore the information would be greatly appreciated!! Mahalo
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There are a lot of great Hawai'i plant books out there. In Hilo you'll find some at Basically Books (Bayfront) and Borders. Some good ones for quick plant ID are Trees of Hawai'i- Angela Kepler; Hawaiian Forest Plants- Mark Merlin; and Trailside Plants of Hawai'i's National Parks- Charles Lamoureux. Some of the worst weeds you may find in Puna are: Strawberry Guava, Guava, Octopus Tree, Chinese Banyan, Albizia, Faya, Glorybush, Lantana, and Christmasberry.(Maybe other folks will add to this list?) Some plants definitely worth keeping are the natives: Ohia, Lama, tree ferns, other native ferns, and any other natives you are lucky enough to find. Right now the Ohias are blooming so hopefully when you visit, you'll be able to tell if there are any unusual colored or yellow flowered ones on your property. They're not so common, so if you find them they're worth keeping and protecting as you build. If you're using a contractor, I'd tell them to use smaller equipment to clear (like a D4 instead of a D9) I would also cordon off an area at least the width of the crown of the trees you want to save with snow fence to prevent root damage from heavy equipment. If you find the native uluhe fern (a 5-lobed, dense vining fern) you will probably want to clear some of it as it is very hard to trudge through. However, it is a wonderful soil builder and here we need all of that we can get. You might consider leaving some patches around the trees you want to save.
For more info and photos of native and alien plants check out these websites from UH and the dept of forestry and wildlife:
http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/hortwe...eslist.htm
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/natives.htm
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/cw_...aliens.htm
And good for you, that you are planning to learn about and preserve what is native on your land! I bet you'll have fun.
Aloha,
Mitzi
Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com
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Other than a bookstore, the local library will have books. You can also go to Garden Exchange in old Hilo town and see what sort of plants are the good ones. Basically, if you like the plant, it is a good plant.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
