Many etlingera are spiderhunter pollinated. I don't know much about their daily live and all, but being hummingbird like birds I don't think they would be active at night. Are their hummingbirds in hawaii? Its quite possible something else is pollinating them. What time of day are you trying to pollinate?

The australians are doing some breeding/hybridizing work with some success.

Tim Chapman

Hi Tim, how was your trip?

I've never heard of a spiderhunter, but we could probably use some of those. Plenty of spiders to hunt here! We don't have hummingbirds, but there is a little hovering moth with a long proboscis that kind of fills that same niche. Can't remember the last time I saw one at our place, though, and I don't know if they come out at night, I've mostly seen them in the daytime, but we do have some nocturnal moths.

I usually try pollinating about mid-morning, or whenever the thought occurs to me. I'm kind of conditioned by years of pollinating bromeliads to assume that everything is going to be receptive around 10:00 AM, but I know that's not necessarily the case. I did talk to an Aussie woman several years ago who claimed to have crossed Etlingera elatior with Alpinia purpurata, but I'm a bit skeptical, as she said that the offspring looked just like the Etlingera. I can't remember her name (Doris?) but she's responsible for the Darwin series of Alpinias. If you know of a way to contact her, or anyone else, send me an email.

-Lisa