I spent ten days on Oahu and saw some beautiful things.  The pictures are below:

It is impossible to ignore the sunsets on this beautiful island.  Even cell phone pictures look like postcards.

I’m not great at identifying the tropical plants, but they are spectacular.  This shrub was prevalent in the city, planted in beds around shops, hotels and other businesses.

The paddle boarders, the hugging couple, and the subdued light make this one of my favorite pictures from this trip.

Crinum plants are incredibly amazing–they spring from enormous bulbs and reach eight feet or more.  And the fragrance of these graceful flowers is delightful.  And after the flowers fade, giant seed pods balloon up.

 

Kigelia africana is an easy tree to remember.  The flowers always end up on the ground in the morning–big, fleshy and bright.

There were hundreds of birds screaming in this banyan tree.  I didn’t see exactly what kinds–possibly mynas.  Impressive, noisy tree!

 

Hibiscus are found everywhere throughout Hawaii.  This was a simple, lovely pink one in Fort Derussy Park.

This hibiscus flaunts itself like a tropical sunset.

Plumeria trees starting to bloom.

Another sunset photo.

This milkweed relative is an interesting shrub.  I like the flowers–and the leaves have a nice substance.

The star of this photo isn’t the sunset, it is the 129-year-old Kiawe tree that toppled recently at the Halekulani Hotel’s patio.  Find more info here about this tree and how they are trying to save it.  It looked pretty good when we were there.

Another great sunset photo.

 

The plectranthus in the greenhouse started to bloom–always super late, but cherry for thanksgiving!

I was surprised that one of Mom’s Cymbidiums had opened its buds in the ten days since I’ve been home.

Brugsmansia also helped me transition to Seattle from the tropics with its best flowering all year in the greenhouse.  I couldn’t smell it, though, but I know the flowers do have a great fragrance–they were just too tall for me to get at!