Hidden Wonders Revealed

Ok, I've kept you waiting long enough - here are the full photos of the tiny previews from my previous post, along with the scientific and common names of each plant.  All the photos are of plants here in The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort - enjoy!

The fruit of Annona squamosa (sugar apple), which is delicious!  In our tropical fruit garden.

Billbergia pyramidalis (bromeliad) inflorescence (flower stalk).

Flower of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Fifth Dimension' (hibiscus).

Fenestraria aurantiaca (window plant or baby toes) in our Aquascape Garden.

Leaves of Cryptanthus 'Black Mystic' (bromeliad).

Chamaedorea seifrizii (bamboo palm) infructescence (fruit stalk).

A hairy petal and succulent stems of Stapelia gigantea (African starfish flower).

Bromeliad inflorescence (flower stalk). The purple and white parts are the individual flower buds.

Pineapple (Ananas) top and ornamental pink fruit.

Codiaeum variegatum (garden croton) leaves in the afternoon sun.

Ravenala madagascariensis (traveler's tree) fruits. Lemurs, which can see blue exceptionally well, disperse the seeds.

Dypsis decaryi (triangle palm) fruits developing.

Cordyline fruticosa (ti plant) inflorescences and leaves.

Male cone of Encephalartos ferox (Zululand cycad).

The nectar-rich inflorescences of Schefflera actinophylla (umbrella plant).

Fronds emerge from the center of Platycerium angolense (elephant ear fern) in our tropical courtyard.

Syngonium podophyllum (arrowhead vine) in bloom as it climbs up a mahogany.

A Tillandsia (air plant) growing in an orchid's pot in our Orchid House.

Male cone of Zamia integrifolia (coontie).

The bloom of Strelitzia reginae (orange bird-of-paradise).

From these photos alone, you can get a good idea of the incredible beauty and diversity of plants. Beyond being beautiful, they are incredibly useful to humans and the world as a whole, their diversity providing a range of products and services we have come to depend on for our survival and well-being, often in ways we don't fully realize or appreciate. With conscientious stewardship on our part, plants provide us with both beauty and utility - when it comes to nature, we really can "eat our cake and keep it, too!"


Rick Hederstrom
Associate Director