Fragrant honohono orchids are stronger than they look

You know it’s almost springtime in Hawaii when the fragrance of hono­hono orchids is in the air.

Once common in any respectable kamaaina garden, hanging from coconut planters or fat hapuu fern logs and watered with rice-rinse water, gardeners really grew them well. My mom has some from when she was first married in 1951, a gift from her lovely neighbor.

Honohono look very delicate, yet they are stronger than you might think. You can wear them in your hair, enjoying and sharing the fragrance all day. Then when you get home, put them in a vase of fresh water to reinvigorate them.

I was worried about my precious stalk, which naturally protruded out into the walkway to the front door, searching for light and good air circulation. My husband got wetly whacked in the head one early morning and said, "Heidi, can you trim off that plant that wakes me up too early?"

I showed him the precious tiny buds, which were green and half an inch long at that point. "Just be patient, OK, honey? By my birthday they’ll be all pau, and then I’ll cut it and start new plants for next year."

Just as the precious nine buds were light lavender and about to open — boom! — the big floods and rain came. Yikes. I called my orchid expert buddy Randy Tajima, who cares for orchids at Foster Botanical Garden.

"Don’t worry about them in the rain, Heidi. They’re from the Philippines and they love rain," he said.

Tajima also told me it would be fine to cut the whole stalk of blooming hono­hono if the buds were fully open for at least three days. This is very good to know.

You can enjoy them as a fragrant cut flower in your home or office or for that wedding or other special occasion, and the flowers will last just as long as if they were still attached to the mother plant.

Honohono are easy to propagate and share. When they are pau blooming, take the stalk and attach it to a hapuu log, if you have one, or to a tree branch. Use old nylon stockings to attach it firmly to the branch.

Plumeria is an excellent tree to adorn with honohono orchids. Their open branch structure make them an ideal spot for securing the orchid stalks. Tie them on tightly and water every day, preferably in the early morning. As old-time Foster Botanical Garden orchid propagator Toshio Aki­yama taught us, "Orchids don’t like to go to bed with wet feet!"

You can also lay the stalks on top of a tray of hapuu fibers or coarse orchid mix, water daily and wait for the keiki to pop out on the stalk. Then pot the keiki hono­hono into their own clay or concrete pots.

Nowadays there are many newer and different varieties of hono­hono. Shop for them at one of our many community orchid shows and sales, or admire the ones your neighbors grow and share so you can enjoy all of the varieties and their lovely color and fragrance of springtime in Hawaii nei.

Heidi Leianuenue Bornhorst is a sustainable landscape consultant specializing in native, xeric and edible gardens. Reach her at heidib@hawaii.rr.com.