Tech View: New guide helps grow native Hawaiian plants

A day doesn’t go by when we aren’t reminded in the news of the environmental peril that we all share. What can we do? “Don’t worry about the whole earth,” says Douglas W. Tallamy, an entomology professor at the University of Delaware. “Worry about the piece of the earth that you can influence.”

That’s where a new book, “Go Native!: Your guide to growing native Hawaiian and canoe plants wherever you live, work, or play,” co- authored by my old friend Paul Arinaga, comes in. A Punahou graduate, Arinaga has lived in Europe and Asia, working as a marketing executive. After returning to Hawaii several years ago, he was alarmed by rampant development, and his interest in sustainability was piqued.

He currently manages and raises funds for the “Go Native: Growing a Native Hawaiian Urban Forest” project for the Hawai‘i Forest Institute.

The new book, co-auth­ored with Hilary Parkinson, Jonathan Price and Tom Foye, is targeted at everyone from home gardeners to landscape architects, schoolteachers and recreational park managers. Essentially, anyone interested in growing Native Hawaiian and “canoe” plants — species introduced by Polynesians.

I recently had a chance to speak with Arinaga about the book.

Question: There are a lot of books about growing native Hawaiian plants, what’s different about this guide?

Answer: We discovered that when people fail to grow a native Hawaiian plant, it’s often because they’re trying to grow a plant in a place that is not suited to it. Hawaii has 10 of the world’s 14 climate zones, which makes matching the right plant to the right place challenging. With this in mind, we adapted research by co-author Dr. Jonathan Price, a professor of tropical conservation biology and environmental science at UH Hilo, and his colleagues to develop eight growing zones ranging from coastal arid to inland wet. To make plant selection easier, we present three landscaping template scenarios for each of the eight growing zones: yard, lanai and walkway.

Q: What’s the overall vision of the “Go Native” project that you’re running?

A: Our vision is to restore nature from mauka to makai by encouraging Hawaii’s residents, businesses, and other organizations to grow more native Hawaiian and canoe plants. We hope to mobilize the public to create a series of kipuka, or microforests, within inhabited areas. These garden patches of native Hawaiian and canoe plants can form a native Hawaiian urban forest that connects with remaining natural forests. It’s a way for everyone to participate in conservation … literally in their own backyard!

Q: Why should people grow native Hawaiian plants?

A: Aside from helping to preserve nature, there are practical benefits. Contrary to common perception, many native Hawaiian plants are extremely hardy. When planted in the appropriate growing zone, they can survive even in harsh conditions. Compared with non-native plants, many native Hawaiian plants also require very little maintenance and little or, ideally, no use of herbicides or fertilizer. Many native Hawaiian plants, especially those native to coastal and dry forest areas, are also drought-tolerant.

Q: How can people get started growing native Hawaiian plants?

A: Get the book! It’s available on Amazon.com. Then use the 120-page guide to: 1. Figure out approximately which growing zone you’re in using the included maps; 2. Decide which landscaping scenario best fits your needs; 3. Use the quick reference table that lists horticultural and landscaping attributes for over 200 plants to swap in other plants in case you’re looking for something else; 4. Source plants from your favorite nursery (a list of nurseries is provided in the appendix) or from your friends and family; 5. Start growing and “Go Native”!

Q: What’s next for the “Go Native” project?

A: We’re working on launching a “Go Native” community portal where people can seek advice from experts, exchange growing tips, upload pictures or video of their gardens, share seeds and maybe even make friends. You can sign up at www.gonativeplants.org. We also recently received funding to make a searchable version of the quick reference table available online.

Q: What about growing food?

A: We’re planning to create a series of agroforestry systems that combine native Hawaiian plants with food plants so that the home gardener can grow food at home while also helping to conserve native Hawaiian plants. Stay tuned for that.

———

Rob Kay is a freelance writer, based in Honolulu, and is the creator of Fijiguide.com. He can be reached at Robertfredkay@gmail.com.