Limahuli Garden and Preserve

Limahuli Garden and Preserve (17 acres of garden, convert|985|acre|km2 of preserve) is a botanical garden and nature preserve located in Hāokinaena, on the wet north shore of Kauai, Hawaii. It is one of the five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden.

Limahuli is situated within a highly picturesque tropical valley covering three distinct ecological zones. The Makana Mountain ridge looms behind, and the Limahuli Stream includes an convert|800|ft|m|sing=on waterfall on its descent from the valley's high end at convert|3330|ft|m to sea level just below the garden. This area is sometimes known as Bali Hai, the name used for the location in South Pacific (1958 film).

The garden currently contains a wide range of native and Polynesian-introduced plants, including "Aleurites moluccana", banana, breadfruit, "Brighamia insignis", "Broussonetia papyrifera", "Charpentiera elliptica", "Cordyline fruticosa", "Curcuma domestica", "Cyanea hardyi", "Diospyros sandwicensis", "Diplazium esculentum", ginger, "Hibiscadelphus distans", hibiscus including "Hibiscus waimeae", kava, koa, "Lipochaeta succulenta", "Metrosideros polymorpha", "Munroidendron racemosum", "Nototrichium divaricatum", "Pandanus tectorius", "Pisonia wagneriana", plumeria, "Pritchardia limahuliensis", sugar cane, taro, and "Wilkesia gymnoxiphium". It also contains taro terraces (lookinai kalo) that date back to early Polynesian arrivals on the island.

In 1997 Limahuli Garden was selected by the American Horticultural Society as the best natural botanical garden in the United States. In 2007, it received the top "Keep It Hawaiokinai" award from the Hawaiokina Tourism Authority for its support of the Hawaiian culture, protection and development of Hawaiian knowledge by preservation of natural resources through research, hands-on work, educational opportunities, and a devout passion for all things Hawaiian.

Limahuli Garden is open to [http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/limahuli-tours.php visitors] . An admission fee is charged. The preserve is not open to the public.

References

* "Limahuli Garden" (brochure), by Nancy Merrill, Anna Stone, and Evelyn de Buhr, Limahuli Garden.

See also

See also

* National Tropical Botanical Garden
* McBryde Garden
* Allerton Garden
* Kahanu Garden
* The Kampong
* List of botanical gardens in the United States

External links

* [http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/limahuli.php Limahuli Garden and Preserve]
* [http://ntbg.org National Tropical Botanical Garden]
* [http://ntbg.org/gardens/mcbryde.php McBryde Garden]
* [http://ntbg.org/gardens/allerton.php Allerton Garden]
* [http://ntbg.org/gardens/kahanu.php Kahanu Garden]
* [http://ntbg.org/gardens/kampong.php The Kampong]

* [http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/Hawaii/kauaii_limahuli_gardens/index.html Photo essay on Garden]