Oahu in Depth - Honolulu, Waikiki and Oahu - page 71

pink, white, and purple flowers with tail-like spathes. Look for the heart-shaped green
leaves in shaded areas. These exotic plants have no scent but will last several weeks as cut
flowers.
BANYAN TREES Among the world's largest trees, banyans have branches that grow out and
away from the trunk, forming descending roots that grow down to the ground to feed and
form additional trunks, making the tree very stable during tropical storms.
BIRDS-OF-PARADISE These natives of Africa have become something of a trademark of Hawaii.
They're easily recognizable by the orange and blue flowers nestled in gray-green bracts,
looking somewhat like birds in flight.
The sharp-looking Birds-of-Paradise.
BOUGAINVILLEA Originally from Brazil, these vines feature colorful, tissue-thin bracts, ranging
in color from majestic purple to fiery orange, that hide tiny white flowers.
BREADFRUIT TREES A large tree—more than 60 feet tall—with broad, sculpted, dark-green
leaves, the famous breadfruit produces a round, head-size green fruit that's a staple in the
diets of all Polynesians. When roasted or baked, the whitish-yellow meat tastes somewhat
like a sweet potato.
BROMELIADS There are more than 1,400 species of bromeliads, of which the pineapple plant is
the best known. “Bromes,” as they're affectionately called, are generally spiky plants ran-