Oahu in Depth - Honolulu, Waikiki and Oahu - page 72

ging in size from a few inches to several feet in diameter. They're popular not only for their
unusual foliage, but also for their strange and wonderful flowers. Used widely in landscap-
ing and interior decoration, especially in resort areas, bromeliads are found on every is-
land.
COFFEE Hawaii is the only state that produces coffee commercially. Coffee is an evergreen
shrub with shiny, waxy, dark-green pointed leaves. The flower is a small, fragrant white
blossom that develops into half-inch berries that turn bright red when ripe. Oahu's North
Shore has a thriving coffee plantation.
GINGER White and yellow ginger flowers are perhaps the most fragrant in Hawaii. Usually
found in clumps growing 4 to 7 feet tall in areas blessed by rain, these sweet-smelling,
3-inch-wide flowers are composed of three dainty petal-like stamens and three long, thin
petals. Ginger was introduced to Hawaii in the 19th century from the Indonesia-Malaysia
area. Look for white and yellow ginger from late spring to fall. If you see ginger on the side
of the road, stop and pick a few blossoms—your car will be filled with a divine fragrance
the rest of the day.
Other members of the ginger family frequently seen in Hawaii include red, shell, and
torch ginger. Red ginger consists of tall green stalks with foot-long red “flower heads.” The
red “petals” are actually bracts, which protect the 1-inch-long white flowers. Red ginger,
which does not share the heavenly smell of white ginger, lasts a week or longer when cut.
Look for red ginger from spring through late fall. Shell ginger, which originated in India
and Burma, thrives in cool, wet mountain forests. These plants, with their pearly white,
clamshell-like blossoms, bloom from spring to fall.
Perhaps the most exotic ginger is the red or pink torch ginger. Cultivated in Malaysia as
seasoning, torch ginger rises directly out of the ground. The flower stalks, which are about
5 to 8 inches in length, resemble the fire of a lighted torch. This is one of the few types of
ginger that can bloom year-round.
HELICONIA Some 80 species of the colorful heliconia family came to Hawaii from the Caribbean
and Central and South America. The bright yellow, red, green, and orange bracts overlap
and appear to unfold like origami birds. The most obvious heliconia to spot is the lobster
claw, which resembles a string of boiled crustacean pincers. Another prolific heliconia is the
parrot's beak: Growing to about hip height, it's composed of bright-orange flower bracts
with black tips. Look for parrot's beaks in spring and summer.
HIBISCUS The 4- to 6-inch hibiscus flowers bloom year-round and come in a range of colors,
from lily white to lipstick red. The flowers resemble crepe paper, with stamens and pistils
protruding spirelike from the center. Hibiscus hedges can grow up to 15 feet tall. The yel-
low hibiscus is Hawaii's official state flower.