Hawaii/Big Island: Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
he Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is an absolute must see on the Bug Island – stunning botanical garden spread over 40 acres and featuring a hugely diverse collection of tropical plants from around the world, including exotic flowers, palms, heliconias, gingers, orchids, bromeliads, and ferns. The garden is set in a lush rainforest valley along Onomea Bay, a natural setting – this is what the tropical Hawaii perhaps looked before human development came. The gardens were founded in 1977 by Dan J. Lutkenhouse, an entrepreneur with a passion for tropical plants, and his wife, Pauline Lutkenhouse – basically amateur botanist/nutcases. Today, the gardens show a stunning 2000+ tropical plant species.
