IMPRESSIONS OF HAWAII'S PLANT-GROWING INDUSTRY 



TREE FERN JUNGLES & SCREENHOUSES 



?eier Core-^ 



IN FEBRUARY of this year 1 had the 

 opportunity to travel to the Hawaiian 

 Islands. It's not that I'm rich and 

 decided to vacation in some exotic 

 place, but rather that the air fare was 

 right ($10.00 round trip) and I couldn't 

 pass up a great deal. The only catch 

 was that 1 couldn't bring my wife and 

 children. But somehow I found the 

 strength to make the sacrifice and go 

 alone. 



Before landing, I read one of those 

 guide books from cover to cover in 

 order to decide which islands to visit. 

 I picked the big island of Hawaii because of its diverse 

 climates and corresponding plant life. 



One of my main goals was to visit some of the orchid 

 and anthurium growers for which the island is famous. 

 1 wanted to see the various operations and was also 

 hoping I could ship some of the flowers back to New 

 Hampshire. 



Finding growers was relatively easy. Most travel guides 

 list a few of the most easily accessible. These growers 

 have shops along the main highway and cater to the 

 tourists. The displays are glitzy and their prices are no 

 bargain. But to find those off the beaten path, I simply 

 asked the grower I was visiting for directions to the next 

 nearest grower. 



Also very helpful is the American Orchid Socim's 

 Comrmrcuil Orchid Growers Directory, which gives full 

 addresses, phone numbers and indicates whether or not 

 an appointment is needed. 



1 found the growers to be as diverse as the island's 

 climate. They ranged from the small back yard hobbyist 

 to the huge multi-million dollar commercial operation. 

 Some grew only orchids, anthuriums, or tropicals, but 

 most grew a combination of crops. Each was interesting 

 in its own way. 



Let me describe the three operations which seem to 

 accent the diversity of the group. 



THE FIRST GROWER 1 visited by accident. I stopped 

 for gas at the only gas station in the small town of Vol- 

 cano. The store as very much like a general store in small 

 town New England except that in one section of the store 

 was di.splayed buckets of orchids, anthuriums, and pro- 

 teas. I found out that the store owners grew these wonder- 

 ful flowers in their backyard as sort of a hobby and that 

 they not only sold their product in their store, but 

 shipped world-wide as well. They were the only grower 

 of proteas that I could find on the island of Hawaii. 

 (Protcas are grown mostly on the island of Maui — next 

 year's trip). 



.My favorite grower was small and family-owned and 



operated. The staff consisted of three 

 people — Mom. Dad, and son. The son 

 (Glen) appeared to be in his mid-for- 

 ties; his parents, in their seventies. 

 Glen told me that he had lived much 

 of his adult life in Cambridge, Massa- 

 chusetts. He eventually grew tired of 

 the long New England winters and the 

 rat race of Boston and decided to 

 return home to take over the family 

 business. 



They grew orchids and anthuriums 

 in a unique and unusual way. In the 

 early sixties. Glen's parents planted 

 rows and row,- or tree ferns. As the tree ferns matured, 

 they planted anthuriums and cymbidium orchids in the 

 ground amor.£: the ferns. They also affixed phalaenopsis 

 and other epiphytic orchids to the trunks of the tree ferns. 

 The effect wai a very natural setting that was both practi- 

 cal and aesthe:ically pleasing. The "tree fern jungle" re- 

 quired little mamtenance. Some type of natural mulch 

 was used to keep down the weeds and rain provided all the 

 moisture needed. Harvesting the flowers was almost ro- 

 mantic. Eacr. morning they would stroll through their 

 self-made jungle and harvest the blossoms that were ready. 

 At the otr.er extreme was a huge operation specializing 

 m anthuriurrj and tropicals. It was very modern: their 

 plants were grown in high-tech greenhouses (or — more 

 accurately — .greenhouses," as all the sides were made of a 

 black screen niaterial). They wouldn't let me visit their 

 ranges for fei: i might carr>' in some insect pest or infec- 

 tious disease. They did give me a tour of the grading and 

 shipping depsrtment, which was immaculately clean, 

 brightly lit, ar.d filled with hundreds of buckets of graded 

 flowers readv :cr packing and shipping. I was also shown 

 the business cffice full of salesmen taking orders from all 

 over the wor^i and making entries into their desktop 

 computers. .: was all very impressive. 



All the grc-.vers I visited were very friendly and helpful. 

 Each was wiL^ig to discuss his operation, but at the same 

 time, was so— .ewhat protective — which is understandable. 



I DID MAN 

 anthuriums : 

 before thev >; 

 packed. Th-. 

 tiously apptj 

 isn't ready f: 

 As for mc 

 I was glad t>: 

 and the fact 

 direction wr. 



Peter is an o--.- 

 Uttleton. Kr. 



AGE to ship a large selection of tropicals and 

 •jck to my store in Littleton. I made it home 

 '..i and had the pleasure of seeing them un- 

 were well-received by the staff, but cau- 

 iched by the customers. Maybe Littleton 

 : the tropics yet. 



. '. thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Hawaii, but 

 return to New England. I like our four .sesons 

 ".at I can go hundreds of miles in almost any 

 --.out having to get on a boat or a plane. 



-.-.•' of Village Green Fhnn & GreenhaiLV iv. 



June/July 1992 17 



