We hiked a few trails through the forest on the north side of Maui. Along the way we saw lush growth and a few wildflowers, including two types of orchids in bloom. There are three types of orchids that grow wild in Hawaii, including the endemic Philippine ground orchid. We have encountered it several times in open areas of the forests on Kauai, Maui, and the Island of Hawaii.
One of the Clidemia shrubs was flowering prior to berries forming. It is considered to be an invasive species in Hawai’i.
We came across Hawai’an tree ferns (Cibotium menziesii) several times in open areas. They are called hap’u’u i’i on the islands.
Orchids and ferns covered the understory by the trailside, with guava trees rising above.
Bamboo orchids grew at lower elevations near the trailhead.
bamboo orchid
Dicranopteris linearis – Old World Forkedfern made dense hedges on slopes. Other names include Old World Forkedfern, Uluhe, Climbing Fern, and False Staghorn.
Stopping to look at all of the plants growing in the tropical forest would be a full-day of activity. We chose to hike up and back, taking a few photos along the way….
