Native Plants, Exotic Species, and Historical Sites Provide Insight Into Ancient Times
Kauai is a great island for visiting a Botanical Garden with many choices allowing you to see the wonders of nature on both the south and north shores. What better way to appreciate the wonders of nature and also learn about native Hawaiian plants than to visit to a Botanical Garden on the Garden Island!
McBryde National Tropical Botanical Garden, tucked peacefully into beautiful Lawai Valley on Kauai’s south shore, offers walking tours as well as tram rides between different areas of the property. Self-guided tours with maps and brochures are also available.
The serene environment of the McBryde Garden features golden bamboo and bronze mermaids as well as tall rainforest trees. Many of these plantings were completed by Queen Emma, who once owned the entire valley.
The McBryde tour features sunny and shady areas as well as cliffs and meadows as you meander through the valley, and the garden also has the largest collection of federally listed endangered plant species found anywhere. Also notable is the state-of-the-art horticulture and micro-propagation facility where world-renown botanists develop propagation techniques at the Botanical Research Center.
Next to McBryde Garden is Allerton National Tropical Botanical Garden featuring many small waterfalls as well as fountains, pools, and various statues amidst the valley cliffs and sea breezes and with Lawai Stream winding its way through the landscape.
Allerton Garden is also known as Lawai Kai (Seaward Lawai) because it is located in beautiful Lawai Valley. The Allerton Garden is bordered on one side by the ocean and on the other side by the McBryde Garden.
Both Allerton and McBryde Gardens are part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) organization, and both tours depart from the NTBG Visitor Center on Lawai Road across from Spouting Horn.
The Visitor Center – housed in an old plantation-style cottage from the 1920s – sells gifts and also provides information about the NTBG’s scientific research efforts.
Limahuli Garden and Preserve is a beautiful Botanical Garden on the north shore, and is also part of the NTBG.
Limahuli hearkens to old Hawai‘i with ancient taro terraces carved into the hillside. Guests can learn about the importance of Polynesian-introduced plants to the Hawaiian culture in ancient times and see many examples of these important plants brought to Hawaii by the Polynesians on their voyaging canoes in ancient times.
Self-guided tours of Limahuli lead you to the top of a hillside that provides spectacular views of the north shore coastline and the Pacific Ocean. The tour takes about 1½ hours.
Last but not least is Na Aina Kai Botanical Garden on Kauai’s north shore. Guided tours are provided either on foot or on a tram.
Na Aina Kai features twelve well-maintained theme gardens including a shower tree park, a maze, gazebos, orchid gardens, and a palm desert.
There is also a bog house, koi-filled ponds, and topiary including a well-groomed hedge maze consisting of 2,400 mock orange plants. A 16-foot “Jack and the Beanstalk” fountain sculpture is the centerpiece of the Children’s Garden. A stream flows into a meadow on the property that extends all the way to a marsh by the ocean.
Na Aina Kai also has a cactus garden, carnivorous plant house, and a Japanese tea house. In all, more than 65 whimsical bronze statues of animals and people grace the grounds. These sculptures are designed in Americana style.
Also at Na Aina Kai are 56,000 tropical hardwood trees. Among these trees are Indian rosewood, zebra wood,, three types of mahogany, and also teak.
A wonderful way to enjoy your stay on the Garden Island is to visit one of these Botanical Gardens, including McBryde and Allerton Gardens on the south shore, Na Aina Kai Botanical Garden on the northeast shore, and Limahuli Garden on the northwest shore. Also on the North Shore is Na Aina Kai Botanical Garden.
For great accommodations on Kauai in all of these locations you can check out Hawaiian Beach Rentals, which offers well-appointed condominiums in Poipu and also luxurious vacation rentals on the north shore. Fortunately now is a great time to visit as there are many absolutely fantastic deals being offered, and Kauai’s beautiful summer is in full swing – pristine white-sand beaches, sunny weather, and of course the lush Botanical Gardens.