In the Garden
Rick Barboza
2 shrubs for leis
can handle sun
Coastal Plants Volume III
Our overview of native coastal plants used in leis and as ornamental landscaping continues this week with shrubs that can be incorporated into your home landscaping.
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Shrub
Alula or 'Olulu: (Brighamia rockii or B. insignis) Difficult to classify as shrubs because they don't resemble your average bush, they look more like a head of lettuce on a baseball bat. They are found naturally on the sea cliffs of Molokai and Kauai, respectively, where both are endangered species.Both plants have beautiful flowers that tower over the rest of the plant on long tubes; B. insignis has yellow flowers with pointed petals, while B. rockii has white flowers that are larger and more rounded. Both are equally attractive when strung into leis. Exposure to lots of sun is best for these plants. When watering, give them a good soaking, but wait until the soil completely dries before watering again.
Ground covers:
Nanea (Vigna mariana) is an indigenous plant from the bean family and features dark green trifoliate leaves with striking yellow flowers. Its flowers can be strung individually, either facing the same direction or in alternating directions, like the "Maunaloa"-type lei.Speaking of maunaloa, nanea flowers look like bright yellow maunaloa flowers. In the garden, nanea can be used is a quick-spreading ground cover that requires very little watering once established. Full sun is best, but this plant can also tolerate partial shade.
Gardening Calendar