My last post was on Hawaiian fauna; today, it's Hawaiian flora.
We vacationed on the western, or Kona, side of Hawaii (a.k.a. "the Big Island), where things are a lot dryer than the eastern, or Hilo, side (where it rains an average of 150 inches a year!).
Some of the things one associates with the islands, like Hibiscus flowers, were not plentiful around the area we stayed (the Hilton Waikoloa).
On a lovely walk down by the hotel's dramatic, black-and-white beach...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFSsxRIG9bPH4gNBCemYGJ1a34zWOi3QMIY4jlorRYyUqf9ppw-rAHE_0mwn8p7G4EEYnC1kEEqumFAlfQHxFTecsELW6znT2s2pLw1Pj8sGOQXRjJjB9BylpPQpNRRMq5zJBsdMYnX8/s400/P1070242.JPG)
I saw one lone red Hibiscus flower:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQfSf4ecXSOq5DVaWezXy_RPWzdMsvdcz2eQ_qzvUCZOnuo5LhMIRub7BIQrVsKtUFDv9VLKKRiZfQiwju55XU99v9jG4OXR_0qGgb_iC71pqSFrobAjjCLn4LEUGOs738innB0AJhgg/s400/P1070243.JPG)
The Bougainvillea was very abundant, however. I fell in love with this patch, which ranged from cream to light lavender shades:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTI1SwLZgTKrgX-G1Y2aS4eSdNZt19kbWtbiN6jAbGhUctSoKHWqDGbSvlEm3QwHsRfXIgeDRksWH6chkiMeIt9Ct2KPgGqUAghZp1-BMp9eKaBRTXtOCocwFTqc41XnZpsDnKGB-0-A/s400/P1070324.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhuaMAG-XiWGt6AdCcC5XefnZwV8rGtUoeTfTMaillDCz7Xatg8TTDnvF2c0SCo9LLr0vWgeOszRoMz-ZsKDOVQ9Zcv1YO3eiQMq-tsD2AJqMXCPjUWzd0boQ2zqUgVyMTJ3VlUyX1G0/s400/P1070326.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFweY8l3sALRZD2g04YGw2PoQB5OEneRSpROCWwd_BEeDsAP8eZEYOqcE0TeqNWTDIsvz3tLJ4IBD3aKz0JkhuBNvC2axotGMPI3qqGQnOKwFq0nULOfN5JjZXPrj9o_cnZsNzQet_Ho/s400/P1070327.JPG)
Beautiful!
This gorgeous pot, with its snow-white and purple mixture, sits in the Hilton's parking lot:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbewl6EQmAPPqQOB0nuThOwNMy3tZpqR6oJ30zadWUkAiMFSIrzc6letBLbRdYKvBf83_OddGgNnJvQKN9GcKA63hCWwsfAXwJkY_36FiBapK3is_N7K86iNh2iksx7ufRfVjf43WFgcM/s400/P1070334.JPG)
And I found this unusual orange color of Bougainvillea on the walk back to our car after whale watching:
These polka-dotted ferns are cute! They lined a lagoon near the whale-watching point:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtsOsag07E-qbgsq_LtEEezqdXkzlqIESCqZU6sYMvFuNXW9Hg8Cgmc2uH9UAFewhF7apyAOz40wKcNFdiFIuVmZwGvhKX7HND51PKDtISmFGa9DyNugIpyWA74hCNEWIClDwqhvSvyo/s400/P1070466.JPG)
One legend for the Naupaka flower (below) is that it's half a blossom because the fire goddess Pele got mad at a couple, tore them asunder, and flung them to live apart forever. So one version of this flower grows only at the beach, and a second variety grows only on the volcanic slopes.
Never make a goddess mad!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXpPhJq6yk1G01BcuoQBLWer9K7VVbxiog_ZDxCgGrGz20d0YSLMWjygESrmJcGJLXOOXowEPeXG4lUGwPAdEhxqWE7rMvfEBUE2Vze90X0LBSjUMEQ20-cHnXawcgenR2d5TY41Mvl8/s400/P1070468.JPG)
This wonderfully oddball bloom was in the center of our table at the Mauna Kea Resort. More on that night's feast in another post.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8iuZ34vUvu5p_ctSTt_ncT81f_NnNrbGcJKicdHp01YpHRYCe9QPZ8hCSARdDikgljKobewOEfv9XO-9tg4hDrsXq4hyzWqsiPC84lE_XzKf719TGlicEQo0VdCDIC9gTNbFkRfAqW0/s400/P1070485.JPG)
Until next time, here's a look at the "default" mode of the western side of Hawaii: Everywhere is lava fields. Unless it's been manipulated heavily by people to look lush and green, like this strip near the entrance to our hotel:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzXJJxGZdg4B2XTcsQfrn4W-5bkEjUqSzHrKFYz-zuApVOgMWv53epxkPXq9mbfw-FwZYerQA-LzCGf0IoKpfCm_0Dp-8mePx0M-Q1bl8ZQirwVOMpK9wmwQTsE4iieNGJneChKwpFEU/s400/P1070536.JPG)
Sure beats a bunch of Bermuda grass!
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