After a very lengthy application process, the volunteer team caring for the Botanical Gardens at the University of Hawaii Hilo recently received accreditation from BGCI Botanic Gardens International. This required cataloging the hundreds of species of palms, cycads, and bromeliads with currently accepted names, creating a searchable digital database and detailed map of the gardens, and setting up collaborative research projects with other institutions around the world. The garden was created by UHH professor Don Hemmes decades ago. Many volunteers have helped nurture the gardens over the years. The current crew includes Deb Beaty, JR Miles (HIPS president), Bill Nelson, Ken Beilstein (cycad specialist), and Rob Talbert, the computer guy who took the lead preparing the application and setting up the digital database.
The garden is located along a stream that runs through campus. Although today it is not prime real estate for building more parking lots or structures, the unofficial, volunteer nature of the gardens left them vulnerable to the whims of future university administrators. The goal of gaining the BGCI accreditation is to communicate to the university and wider public the value of the collection and hopefully protect it in perpetuity. Plus, it gives me a good excuse to post some current photos of a few of the star residents.
This photo was taken from roughly the same spot as the one at the beginning of this thread, 3.5 years ago. This Tahina is definitely in high gear. It might not be the largest one on the island, but it is right up there with the best. Immediately to the left of the guy posing for scale is a poor Lemurophoenix halleuxii about to be swallowed by the Tahina. Lots of hobbyists in Hawaii planted Tahina in their residential gardens 15 years ago when they first became available. Not everyone left enough room around to accommodate the massive size of these palms.
Tahina have this odd habit of crawling sideways the first several years until they sink down a mature root system and take off growing vertically. You can see where the palm began off to the left and slid about three feet to the right before making a trunk.
And of course, every East Hawaii Island palm garden has to have at least one Marojejya.
This garden is a must see for any palm grower visiting the Big Island. It's easy to find in the middle of Hilo, and it's free!