Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
Encyclopedia
The Maui Nui Botanical Gardens (7 acres), formerly known as the Maui Zoological and Botanical Gardens, are botanical garden
s located at 150 Kanaloa Avenue, Kahului, Maui
, Hawaii
. They are open Monday through Saturday. Admission is free.
The gardens were established in 1976 by Rene Sylva
within a coastal dune system, and are primarily focused on conserving native Hawaiian plants of the dry forest and coastal areas of Maui Nui
(Maui
, Molokai
, Lanai
, and Kahoolawe
). The gardens also contain a good collection of Polynesia
n-introduced plants. At present, plantings include some 40 sugarcane
varieties, 15 sweet potato
varieties, and 20 of the 60 known taro
varieties.
The gardens also include a greenhouse
and shade house for plant propagation, picnic tables, a playground, and restrooms.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
s located at 150 Kanaloa Avenue, Kahului, Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. They are open Monday through Saturday. Admission is free.
The gardens were established in 1976 by Rene Sylva
Rene Sylva
Rene Sylva was a native Hawaiian botanist from Paia, Hawaii. He was among the only native Hawaiian fishermen to speak in favor of a ban on fishing green sea turtles. After giving up a career in turtle fishing, he became involved in the conservation of native Hawaiian ecosystems. He assisted...
within a coastal dune system, and are primarily focused on conserving native Hawaiian plants of the dry forest and coastal areas of Maui Nui
Maui Nui
Maui Nui or Greater Maui, is a modern geologists' name given to a prehistoric Hawaiian Island built from seven shield volcanoes. Nui means "great/large" in the Hawaiian language....
(Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
, Lanai
Lanai
Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....
, and Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe is the smallest of the eight main volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands. Kahoolawe is located about seven miles southwest of Maui and also southeast of Lanai, and it is long by wide, with a total land area of . The highest point on Kahoolawe is the crater of Lua Makika at the...
). The gardens also contain a good collection of Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n-introduced plants. At present, plantings include some 40 sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
varieties, 15 sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
varieties, and 20 of the 60 known taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
varieties.
The gardens also include a greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
and shade house for plant propagation, picnic tables, a playground, and restrooms.