That's my fantasy moon garden, and while it may or may not be that transcendent of an experience, I think it is worth a try, because a planting of these four drought-tolerant endemics give you maximum bang for your buck: you get a garden to moon over, a xeriscape bed, and a showcase for native plants. I've highlighted two of them below: the Hawaiian caper, maiapilo, and Kulu'i, saving the hinahina and ma'o for future posts. I hope they have you dancing in the moonlight.
Maiapilo, Hawaiian Caper I stumbled upon this magnificent flower at Ka'ena point. Look at those showy stamens, and the chartreuse blush in the curl of the blossom! This beauty is a night bloomer, its flowers opening as the sun sets, wide awake through the night, then fading by mid-morning. Their scent is described as "lemony." Its nectar is enjoyed by a rare and endemic moth, Blackburn's Sphinx moth (Manduca blackburni). Maiapilo has a coastal or dry habitat and a posture that is sprawling or shrub-like. | Kulu'i, Hawaiian Rockwart Requiring little watering, but adding a big soft punch of green-grey foliage to your garden is the kulu'i, Nototrichium humile, N. sandwicense, and N. divaricatum. Kulu'i is in the Amaranth family, known for their catkin-like flowers, and though the inflorescences of the kulu'i aren't showy, their creamy white color are ideal for the moon garden, as is their foliage. The genus name Nototrichium means "remarkable hair" referring to the fuzzy and soft leaves. It posture is a shrub typically found to be in the three to nine foot range. |