DRIVING FROM WAIKIKI TO TOWN
The ride from Waikiki to the center of Honolulu provides an opportunity to see many more trees and flowers. If you go by the Ala Moana, you pass by Moana Park bordering the shore. It holds a building, with a large inclosed court, where the Flower Shows usually take place, and where the Park Board has its office.
If you go by way of Kalakaua avenue and King street, you will be interested in knowing that the line of trees growing in the parkway down the middle of Kalakaua for some blocks before reaching King, are Mahogany trees. At the corner of King and Keeaumoku is a park-like square with some fine, very old trees, including some of the Kapok, (Ceiba pentandra) which produces the kapok floss of commerce. This has huge surface roots, almost like flying buttresses. The building in this square is the office of the Territorial Board of Agriculture and Forestry.
A few blocks farther down King street is Thomas Square. In peace times you can watch the fountain in the center of this park as you sit under the shade of the four giant Banyans. There are specimens of the false Wili-wili here, which scatter their red seeds on the ground in early spring. Facing Thomas Square on the makai side is the private estate of the Wards known as the Old Plantation, closed to the public. On the other is the Honolulu Academy of Arts, which is open to the public.
The Academy has two delightful court gardens in the building, one an Oriental, Chinesque garden, the other a Persian courtyard. At the back are a series of small formal gardens. There are always unusual flower arrangements in the Academy building.
Near the center of Honolulu is Iolani Palace, former home of royalty and now the capitol of the Territory. In the park around this building are many fine old trees and some interesting shrubs.
A short distance from the palace, up Punchbowl street, stands the Queen’s Hospital. Years ago some unusual trees were planted in its grounds, including the Bombax. There is a good example of the curious Bottle tree or Baobab, (Adansonia digitata), near the entrance by the Emergency hospital. You can recognize it by its trunk, which quickly tapers from about five feet in diameter to hardly more than one foot, as various limbs branch off.
If you go straight out King street, past Fort Shafter, you will come to Moanalua Gardens, a park-like area at the foot of the hill. This is a private estate belonging to the Damon family, but the public is invited to visit it. There is a pond with tropical water lilies and some extremely large trees. There are also greenhouses filled with Orchids and Anthuriums which visitors are sometimes invited to enter.