The Eppies are Blooming!

Eppies in Hawaii? You betcha! They just love it here. Our warm humid climate makes our Eppies happy campers! And you thought they only grew in California!
For those of you that aren't familiar with Eppies, they are actually Epiphylum, which means "upon the leaf". That's because the flowers actually come out of the edges of the leaves, as you can see below. They are a type of cactus originally found in the jungles of South America and Africa.
As you can see in the photos, Eppies are quite happy to live in our rocky terrain. They are natural climbers and will grow onto just about anything. Maintenance is just about zero, as these plants can take advantage of absorbing the moisture in the air, so little watering is needed. All of the Eppies on our property were propagated from one plant that we purchased a few years back.
Notice that the Eppies in the photo above have a small tree growing right out of the rock to keep them company. It's one of our native Ohia trees, and like alot of things here It's Amazing!

The Ohias are Blooming!

It's springtime here in Hawaii, and on the Big Island, it means that our Ohia trees are blooming. These rugged trees live to be hundreds, maybe even thousands of years, and are so tough, they can grow right into the volcanic rock. They can even stand up to being scorched bare by the heat of a lava flow getting too close. As soon as things cool down, the foliage just grows right back. They are also the first trees to inhabit new lava after it cools! The beautiful lipstick red flowers even get there own name, they are called "Lehua". Although these flowers are magnificent, they are not the best part. Soon the beekeepers will bring in the beehives, and then it's time for world famous "Lehua Honey"! Yep, all that Lehua honey comes from right here in Hawaii. Even mainland folks can find it in Haagendaus Vanilla and Honey ice cream.  

Of course, for those of us who actually live out here on the island, soon the farmers markets will have Lehua honey available in many different sizes. If you are fortunate enough to be visiting in late spring and even through the summer, be sure to try this delightful treat!

The Beautiful Dragonfruit Flower!

More on Dragonfruit....

This Beauty is a Dragonfruit flower. It's on a stalk that looks alot like a cactus, even has thorns. It grows very nicely crawling on the rocks. This one is quite large, about 12" across. Will it eventually produce fruit? Probably not, as most Dragonfruit farmers here have to hand pollinate them, and even then it's hit or miss. They sell the fruit here for about $5.00 a pound, and I understand twice that on Oahu (Honolulu). The fruit has a vitamin c content higher than most any other. And is delicious beyond compare!

English Lavender

English Lavender

Our English Lavender (Vera)
One of the main plants we grow here on our farm. We distill the oil and hydrosol from it, and use it in our FBI First Aid Creme, and First Aid Spray, along with our own Rosemary. We get 3 cuttings per year here in  Hawaii, and these will be ready soon. When the buds are at there fullest, the aroma is just intoxicating, and it's my favorite to harvest. As you can see, it does really well here in the clouds at 4300' elevation.