Across the street from the Manago Hotel and just north of the baseball diamond is the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden. This 15 acr
e garden is dedicated to preserving native plants and their historical usage within traditional Hawai'ian society. The idea of a truly native Hawai'ian plant is complicated, as many species were intentionally introduced by human settlers.
The garden collection differentiates between endemic (only found in Hawai'i), indigenous (found native in Hawai'i and elsewhere in the Pacific) and Polynesian introductions. The mission of the garden stipulated by it's original benefactor, Amy Greenwell, was to restore the land to a state similar to that found prior to Captain Cook's arrival in 1779 and the introduction of the islands to the “Western” world.
It's $5 for general entry or $10 for a guided tour. It's beautiful and we recommend that you visit, but just pay the 5 bucks and borrow a the loane
r copy of the guidebook from the office and read about whatever plants tickle your fancy bone.
We recognized most of the trees and plants from our farm and elsewhere in our wanderings around the island, though it was nice to learn the proper names of many of them. The Big Island is also home to many species that are endangered on the mainland:
I will plan on visiting this garden. I <3 gardens!
ReplyDeleteIf you are staying at the Manago Hotel, it is literally right across the street.
ReplyDeletei would like to go here!
ReplyDelete