Travelling to Kauai
 

Not sure if this is the proper thread but.... I'm travelling to Kauai in a few weeks and I discovered that I can bring orchids home without any red-tape. With internet shopping it's not quite as exciting, but (for those of you who are familiar with the area) is there anywhere orchid-related I should go or any particular plant I should look to buy?

Don't know about nurseries, but if you go to the parking are for Waimea Canyon, you can see large numbers of a beautiful purple terrestrial orchids growing on the red earth. I don't know whether they have a particular bloom season. I found them in bloom on two different trips.

I will definitely go check that out! I bet that's wonderful to see :)

Spathoglottis plicata is like a weed over there! Same with Arundina graminifolia.

You will need to have plants inspected at the airport at agricultural. I don't see you home state but there are states where you cannot take them.

Okay thanks, I will look into this more then. I live in Pa.

PA is not restricted. Have a fun time. Of course, you really should come to Big Island!

:hello The Orchid Mall - Everything in Orchids might be of interest and you'll see Hawaiian growers.

The big island will be the next trip, we're already planning on it!

They are weeds there!

Spathoglottis plicata (Philippine ground orchid)

bamboo orchid, Arundina graminifolia (Orchidales: Orchidaceae)

But since neither tolerates cold weather, they don't seem to threaten the mainland, outside southern Florida and Texas.

The Spathoglottis plicata I recall seeing on Kauaii were much prettier than the photos I find on the Internet. Whoever brought this color strain had good taste.

I went to Kauai last summer and loved every minute.
While there were orchids everywhere there weren't many places selling them. I found only one orchid vendor, Orchid Alley in Kappa. It's very small, I walked past it twice, but nice place. They didn't really have anything special mostly hybrid phals and dendrobiums. I also went to a garden center that had some as landscape plants but it wasn't worth the shipping to send home.

The National Tropical Botanical Garden on the south end of the island by the spouting horn had some nice displays. If you go plan a few hours. I only managed to make it to one of the 3 tours offered because I was short on time.

Unfortunately Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island are where the growers are located!

Thanks James! I might check out the Botanical Garden.