It’s easy to find or create local gifts and decorations for your plant-loving friends and ohana. It’s also good for our environment and the Hawaii economy to keep it as local as we can.
Norfolk pines, Leyland cypress and even fragrant “real Christmas tree smelling” Douglas firs grow here and make lovely holiday trees. You can grow your own potted Norfolk and use it year after year. You can also plant one in the ground and harvest it over the years. Or support our local growers like Helemano Farms here on Oahu. Douglas firs grow at higher elevations, like up on the slopes of Mauna Kea.
One scary part of imported Christmas trees is the stowaways. Stinging yellowjacket wasps, slugs, snakes and other pests have gotten here by hiding amid the pine needles. Rat lung disease probably got to Hawaii from an alien, infected slug that slipped in among the imported trees.
You can also find local greenery and colorful plants to make wreaths and table decor. Use pines and cypress, red ginger, red shrimp plants and more to make a wreath or bouquet for a hostess gift. Green, red and white ti leaf varieties can be woven into wreaths or garlands.
Native Hawaiian plants are also fun to grow, and we have so many nurseries and local botanical gardens that grow and share these plants. Some of the most popular and easy for home gardeners are ohia lehua, hapuu tree ferns, palapalai, akia, koa and fragrant white hibiscus, or kokio keo keo.
Who doesn’t love orchids? They are such a nice gift and so easy to care for. Ask your grower or local nursery what kind of light is best for the particular orchid variety. The general guideline is that orchids don’t like “wet feet,” so don’t set them in a tray of standing water. Most like to be carried to the sink and thoroughly watered about once a week. Let the water flow through the potting media and drain out into the sink. After a few minutes, carry it back to the decorative place in your home or office and enjoy your epic blooming plant.
Poinsettias are also grown locally. If you water them like orchids, they can be a decorative houseplant for many months into the new year.
Food plants and herbs also make great gifts, as so many people are becoming fans of growing their own food. Herbs such as mint, chives, green onions, oregano, rosemary and others grow really well here in gardens or on apartment lanai.
Giving someone who has a garden a fruit tree, like a mango, lychee, tangerine, lime, kalamansi, mulberry or breadfruit, is a gift that keeps on giving. A gift like this can be a family endeavor — pick the planting site, prepare the planting puka, care for the tree and in a few years enjoy the harvest together. Take pictures of all the stages of growth and enjoy those over the years.
Kalo, or taro, is another pretty plant that can feed and nourish your ohana; eat the lau (leaves) and the corm. A papa kui ai (poi pounding board) and a poi pounder are great accompanying gifts that will nurture everyone.
We now have so many gardening books written in Hawaii to choose from. Pair one with some gardening tools or gloves for a thoughtful gift for the gardeners on your list.
Check your local farmers market or community craft fairs and see what’s available, or head to Foster Botanical Garden, Lyon Arboretum or Waimea Valley to check out the well-stocked gift shops.
Heidi Bornhorst is a sustainable landscape consultant specializing in native, xeric and edible gardens. Reach her at heidibornhorst@gmail.com.
