Lovely and Lush
One of the things I really enjoy while traveling is to enjoy the natural scenery. I have learned to really appreciate plants and plant diversity while living in the desert. I especially enjoy learning a bit of natural history whenever I travel. Here are some lovelies captured while on recent holiday.
Many of these plant images (especially the orchids) were captured while visiting the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden – if ever you are on the Big Island, I recommend visiting. The eastern (and wetter) side of Hawaii especially offers plenty of lush greenery to photograph. While trying to identify and learn more about these plants, I stumbled across Wildlife of Hawaii – it’s a very nicely done resource of flora and fauna along with links to other sites that can help identify Hawaiian creatures and plant life.
The plants in the tropics are so different from what I normally encounter, and the fact that some of them specialize in colonizing freshly cooled lava fields just amazes me. The plants that colonize the lava fields contribute to the eventual soil mass that supports the rest of the plant life that grows on the islands. Of all the plants I saw while on this vacation, I’d be extremely hard pressed to select a favorite. I’ve always had a soft spot for orchids, though none of the orchids I saw were native to Hawaii, which only has three native orchid species. I also have a soft spot for ferns and mosses, mostly because they were something I saw much more of in my childhood and not so much of now that I live in a desert.
After viewing the slideshow, do you have a favorite?
