August, 2024 - Horizon Guest House

Find out about 7 of our favorite plants that are grown here on the property at Horizon Guest House. These flowering plants are not all native to Hawaii but they all help contribute to a colorful garden!

1. Canna Lily

This variation is known as Canna X Generalis, Canna Lily (above photo). This lily loves warm weather and full sun. The plants can grow up to 6 feet in height. They are found in tropical and subtropical parts of North and South America, India and in the Pacific. The genus name, Canna, is derived from the Greek word Kanna, meaning reed-like.

2. Blue ginger

Native to Brazil, blue ginger grows easily in the wild. They enjoy moist, shaded areas. The color it produces occurs rarely in nature – less than 10% of all flowering plants have blue blooms. It is not a member of the ginger family and is not edible. Blue ginger is in fact part of the Commelinaceae family, along with spiderworts. Blue ginger can grow to between 3-5 feet tall.

3. Anthurium Painter’s Palette

Native to Colombia and Ecuador, this anthurium, is also known as Painter’s Palette. It’s a monocotyledonous perennial and flourishes in warm, tropical environments, hence why it enjoys the Hawaiian climate. It also make for fairly low-maintenance indoor plant. A study carried out by NASA, called the Clean Air Study, found that they are also capable of eliminating environmental toxins like formaldehyde and ammonia from the air!

4. Heliconia Parrots Beak

This dramatic plant, Heliconia rostrata, grows large pendulous flowers which can reach half a meter in length. The stalks of the plant can grow up to 7 feet in height. It is native to Colombia and Bolivia. They enjoy moisture and sheltered areas to help protect the vulnerable flowers which can be heavy!

4. Pagoda Flower

The Pagoda flower is native to Asia and parts of the Pacific. A tropical shrub, it produces a large display consisting of tall clusters of orangey-red flowers that form a pyramid shape. The stems of the plant can grow to be 8 feet tall. It enjoys full sun and well-drained soil.

6. Aechmea Tillandsioids

A type of bromeliad, this red and orange flowering plant produces striking leaves. The plant is native to South America and thrives in tropical locations. The leaves themselves are long and narrow, and the edges can be sharp. Often found in trees this plant also enjoys ground environments.

7. Blue water lily

Also known as blue Egyptian lotus, this aquatic plant loves tropical climates and is naturalized on Hawaii Island and also Brazil and Argentina. It produces a beautiful blue flower, and has a history dating back to Egypt where it was grown along the banks of the Nile. The plant flowers during the day and closes up at night.

The Hawaiian climate makes for a relatively easy growing environment for most plants, and our elevation here at Horizon means we have a good mix of plenty of sun and just enough rain.

The coqui (pronounced ‘ko-kee’) is a small frog that was first introduced to Hawaii, and the Big Island, in 1988 from Florida by accident.

About the coqui

Originally from Puerto Rico, the coqui arrived in nursery plants and quickly became established, in particular on the Big Island. The coqui makes a distinctive whistling sound at night that sounds almost identical to its name (‘ko-kee’). This sound can be quite loud, reaching up to 95 decibels.

The coqui is small, about 1-2 inches in size, and is usually a light tan color, although they can also be a darker brown. They are mostly found near ground level, in bush or amongst other plant cover.

The coqui in Hawaii

The coqui populations have proliferated in Hawaii due to the lack of a natural predator and numbers can reach a density level of 2,000 per acre. This is significantly larger than the density levels found in its native Puerto Rico. The coqui consume a large amount of insects from the natural environment, which has impacted pollination systems. They eat invertebrate prey, and since Hawaii’s native invertebrates are already threatened this has led to a disturbance in the fragile Hawaiian ecosystem. There is also an impact on the exporting of plants from the islands.

Treatment

Attempts at eradication of the coqui on the Big Island remain unsuccessful, although attempts on Oahu and Kauai have been successful in the past. Use of citric acid remains the approved means of eradication by the USDA. Frogs absorb the acid and this treatment is generally effective. Coqui are more invasive in East Hawaii, though they are found across the island.

Horizon Guest House uses citric acid to treat the coqui and keep the noise of their distinctive chirp to a minimum and at a pleasant distance!

7 colorful plants at Horizon Guest House