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Any heirloom Hawaiian hedge ideas?
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Posted by hotzcatz Hamakua Coast (My Page) on Sat, Oct 9, 04 at 1:50
| Are there any Hawaiian "heirloom" type of hedge plants? I'm looking for plants that will be a hedge alongside an old plantation camp house, an old "board & batten" or "12 by 1" house built in 1911 (so nothing too fancy or it won't match the house).
It is full sun, deep soil, lots of water and wind at a 400 foot elevation. I don't want to do a whole bunch of maintenance on it so it should either stay below six feet tall or I'll have to trim it. But it needs to be at least three feet tall to block the wind from my yard plants. The yard is narrow, there, too, so some sort of skinny hedge would be preferable.
It would be nice if it had fruit of some sort and/or nice smelling flowers since it is upwind of the house.
So far, I'm considering surinam cherry clipped into a hedge shape or "yesterday-today & tomorrow", although I haven't seen that made into very many hedges. Possibly rosemary, although it is upwind of the house and that might be too odoriferous. Any good ideas? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Any heirloom Hawaiian hedge ideas?
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Tiare makes a good hedge, but you will have to prune it some to keep it low. Mine has been easy to maintain at 3 feet tall. It depends how much sun it gets. Bouganvillea is a good choice, or hibiscus. Crotons are awesome as a hedge too!
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RE: Any heirloom Hawaiian hedge ideas?
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| Koki'oke'oke'o (Hibiscus arnottianus), is a good native hedge. It has fragrant white typical Hibiscus flowers that are slightly fragrant. It does not look to flashy but it works as a hedge. It is used in commercial landscapes. However, I don't know if this species (endemic to Moloka'i and O'ahu) is available on Hawai'i. Other native Hibiscus suitable include Hibiscus kokio. I don't know of the availability of this species on the Big Island, but it is said to be native there. I don't think you would consider these plants heirloom. But they carry an original look of the Hawai'ian flora. No crazy thousands of colorful cultivars (like H. rosa-sinensis), just pure native species. Bouganvillea, and Crotons should be alright as well. Individually, I would not consider either of these attractive plants. But they can play a role in landsacapes. Mock orange is very commonly used, but it makes an excellent hedge and when in flower the fragrance is often carried by the wind. |
RE: Any heirloom Hawaiian hedge ideas?
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| I've tried mock orange in some areas, but they never seem to bloom, don't know why. Jasmine is the same way. The koki'oke'oke'o sounds interesting although it's name is almost as difficult as humuhumunukunukuapua'a (small fish, big name). Is the koki'oke'oke'o a dense shrub or a loose one? Although, I could always pinch it back to get it denser. I'll have to look at the garden shops and see if any of them have any of this hibiscus. Can it be propagated in the usual hibiscus way of just sticking twigs in the ground and watering? Then I could buy just one and eventually have a hedge. |
RE: Any heirloom Hawaiian hedge ideas?
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| Many growers have grown Koki'oke'oke'o from cuttings. I personally prefer to grow them from seeds (I don't think I'm a cutting-inclined propagator). They are relativly fast growing, although growing from seed will take patience. Seed propogation of this species is quite easy. A large leaf will be about the size of a shaka (2dm), though most leaves will not reach this size. It forms a pretty "cozy" looking hedge with few or no open spaces. Its density does depend on pruning. I have seen it planted McDonald's', and gas stations. They seem to stay well maintained in commercial landscapes, and in my opinion are much more attractive then the common red hibiscus rosa sinensis. |
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