The banana tree is also one of the fastest growing plants in the world.  On Maui if you have one in your yard it is always a treat when they are ready to harvest.  It can be tricky though because a banana bunch can weigh as much as 50 pounds.  For safety I try to either tie them off with rope or have a friend guide it down while I cut it off.  The tree will not produce another bunch so it must be cut off at ground level so that a new trunk can grow in order to produce another bunch.  Usually there is no way to eat them all yourself before they rot so most people share them with friends and family as fast as they can.  They’re so good it feels like a crime if you have to throw them out because they’ve turned black and soggy.  There are plenty of places to shop for bananas on Maui also.  Some grocery stores on Maui like Safeway carry local bananas but you’ll most likely find the ripest and sweetest ones at the farmers market and the many fruit stands along the road to Hana.

Bananas are planted islandwide with several varieties producing amazing flavors you will never find anywhere else.  Bananas are something the ag inspectors are always on the lookout for at the airport and will confiscate them due to possible contamination by fruit flies and several crop diseases present in Hawaii so plan on eating as much as you can while on the island. There are some banana groves planted around the island but as of yet I haven’t heard of them being offered on the mainland.

 My favorite and the most popular on the island are the Apple Bananas which are actually from Brazil. They are small (about 3-4 inches long) and have a light pink meat.  Banana bread or muffins made from these bananas can change your life!  Everyone has a favorite banana bread recipe but I love a variation which I like to make from the book “What Hawaii Likes to Eat” that includes pineapple and orange juice.  In case you would like to try making some yourself here is the recipe -

Hawaiian Nut Bread

Yields 3 small loaves

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp Hawaiian sea salt

8 oz crushed pineapple with liquid

1 cup mashed apple bananas

1/4 cup orange juice

½ cup butter

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups macadamia nuts (chopped)

Combine flour, baking soda and powder plus the salt.  In a separate bowl combine banana, pineapple (with it’s juice) and orange juice. Cream butter and sugar together in mixing bowl until smooth and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Alternate folding in flour mixture and banana mixture. Combine just enough to moisten dry ingredients. About three additions should do it.  Pour into muffin pan and bake at 350.  Check with toothpick after 20 minutes.  They may take up to 30 minutes or more.

 COCONUTS

Another fruit that is seen and used island wide as a food source is Coconut.  Thoughts of Hawaii invariably bring up the vision of palm trees swaying on a beautiful sandy beach. Although they are an iconic symbol for the islands, there is a reason they are along most beaches.

It is said the first Hawaiians brought coconuts with them on their voyages from Polynesia.  They are not indigenous to Hawaii and it is hard to say exactly how they got here because they are well known for traveling great distances on the ocean currents.  The nuts are an amazing food source (with coconut water being a recent health food craze) and rope made from coconut fiber is incredibly strong and was used by ancient Hawaiians for construction of canoes and houses.  They are especially tasty right off the tree and a fresh one can weigh as much as 8 to 10 lbs.  You won’t see the nuts in the trees around resorts because they keep them trimmed off so they don’t fall on someone. I can remember camping in Hana and hearing them hit the ground like a bag of hammers, which is pretty spooky at night. I’ve heard marine biologists on Maui, in an attempt to quell peoples fear of sharks, point out that more people are killed worldwide by falling coconuts than by sharks.  Fresh off the tree they have a thick green wood pulp like husk that must be whacked off to get to the nut.  Another favorite experience of mine was at a local private luau on the Big Island of Hawaii where they had a trash can filled with fresh coconuts on ice.  A guy would whack off the top of the green husk and nut in a couple precision strikes with a machete, dump some rum in it and hand it to you with a straw.  It was friggin awesome.  Another well known desert in the islands is haupia which is a firm coconut pudding concoction.  Sweet yet mellow.  I could go on and on about stuff like candied coconut or the many fish dishes made with coconut milk i’ve enjoyed, but my best advice is to get your hands on a fresh one and anything else that’s “coconut kine” on Maui if you get the chance.

I’ve just scratched the surface of the story of Hawaii’s edible trees but I’ll continue to update this story in the future with more native and introduced species and their impact on Hawaiian history.

Aloha Nui Loa

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Found throughout Maui mostly in sea level forests, this spectacular and somewhat bazaar tree has an interesting history in Hawaii as well as in it’s homeland of India. It is a type of fig tree and as an epiphyte it starts it’s life in the crevices of a host tree.  Sending out aerial roots down bark and to the ground they eventually engulf and crowd out the host.  They are found throughout southeast Asia but in India the Banyan is the national tree and It is considered sacred because it represents eternal expansion.  Among it’s many stories it is said that the god Krishna often rested in it’s branches as well as being the tree where the Buddah sat and contemplated mans existence which resulted in the birth of Buddism.   In the Nepal region it’s milky sap is used as a hair and skin conditioner and the roots are pounded to make a paste that is used to treat bruises and inflammation.

The most famous example of this tree in Hawaii is found on Front Street in Lahaina.  It is one of the largest of it’s kind in the world.  In 1823 the Hawaiian Queens Keopuolani and Ka’ahumanu befriended the first American missionaries who arrived on Maui.  These Queens where inspired to give them this beautiful area of Lahaina to build there coral and stone homes and buildings.  Throughout this area of Lahaina can be found plaques which tell the stories of these missionaries and how they worked to help the Hawaiian rulers form a new nation. This Banyan tree was brought to Lahaina from India in 1873 and planted for the 50th anniversary of the missionaries arrival on Maui and has been well taken care of for 140 years.  In that time span it has grown from 8 ft tall to 60 feet high with branches that extend outward over 200 ft.  These branches have stretched out from it’s huge core trunk and dropped aerial roots which developed into 12 separate trunks and shades about 2/3rds of an acre.  This makes it a welcome resting place from the hot Lahaina sun.  Many events and art exhibits are held here and artist gather to sell their work every 2nd and 4th weekend of the month. Banyan trees are also quite plentiful in lower parts of the West Maui Mountains as well as in the Hana area.  A great example of this tree can be found along the path to the Pools of Oheo.

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upcountry area

 Maui’s Royal Poinciana Trees

A native of Madagascar where it is rare and a bright yellow, the Royal Poinciana Trees on Maui are mostly bright orange when in bloom.  This ornamental tree is cultivated in tropical climates worldwide because of it’s beauty and size.  It is also known as the Flamboyant or Flame tree and can reach heights of 20 to 30 feet or more.  It is a legume, which means it is a cousin to beans and peas and has nitrogen fixing abilities which improves the soil.   My favorite ones grow in Kihei and line many streets providing a colorful canopy.  Although there are many flowering trees on Maui, this is one of the largest.  They flower mostly in the summer months and are large enough to offer some wonderful color filled shade in the hot tropical afternoons.

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Sandalwood –  The story goes that the sandalwood trade began in the early 1800′s shortly after the discovery of the islands by Captain Cook.  At that time the slopes of Haleakala from sea level to the treeline at about 8000’ elevation were completely covered by a 3 layered rainforest canopy of diverse trees made up mainly of sandalwood.  The tree is believed to be root parasitic in that it grows in association with other trees such as Koa and Ohi’a.  This created a dynamic forest which captured moisture coming off the ocean to create a vibrant rainforest.  The captured rain created the deep gulches and valleys that we see today.

By 1811 trade ships began arriving regularly in Hawaii which were mainly British and they had a thriving sandalwood business with the Chinese. By trading guns, cannons, and ammunition with Kamehameha for the rights to harvest the sandalwood trees Kamehameha was then able to use these weapons to invade first Maui and subsequently the rest of the island chain (except for Kauai which agreed to his authority) thus uniting them under his rule.  From Oahu he continued to trade with the British until his death in 1819.  His son, Kamehameha ll fell into debt with the sandalwood traders and the first general tax in Hawaii was imposed.  This relationship with the British is why the Hawaiian flag has the Union Jack on it and why the first modern Hawaiian government was established as a British type monarchy.  By 1830 the Sandalwood trade collapsed as the forests on every island were clear cut and even burned to find the last trees by smell which resulted in the loss of all remaining seedlings and left only the most remotely inaccessible areas as the last remnants of a once great and expansive ecosystem.

One of first zipline courses in the country is in upcountry Maui. Skyline Eco-adventures started in 2002 and one of their goals as a company was and still is native reforestation.  I was hired to shoot the tour and the planting efforts performed by local volunteer youth groups.  They have now planted well over 300 koa trees along the course and in 2010 they somehow got their hands on a sandalwood sapling.  To see it in the ground was inspiring considering it has been well over 180 years since a sandalwood tree has been known to exist on the slopes of Haleakala.

Stay tuned for more stories about the wonderful and diverse forests and trees of Maui.

Aloha Nui Loa

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There are definitely some things you should know before you go out hiking.  Because of the many different climate zones, where you’re hiking can mean a big difference in gear and timing.  There is everything from a nice walk for miles on beach sand to 10,000 ft elevation hikes on lava rock that take overnight camping to accomplish, not to mention the slippery wet rainforest trails and everything in between.

A tripod may be necessary to get sharp photos in this low light cloud forest

Some of my fondest memories living on Maui for over 20 years are of the magical hiking trails found all over the island.  Often they were introduced to me by locals.  Over the years many of these “secret spots” were earned by me, I feel, because of the respect I have shown to the culture, the land and the people as a professional photographer.  Recently more and more of these spots have been “revealed” by guide books.  This has caused land owners to put up gates and run people off because of crowding and liability.  My hope is that this can be reversed by informing visitors about how to safely enjoy the island with respect for it’s sacredness and rarity.

The native Hawaiians divided their lands into Ahupua’as which were pie shaped sections of land that extended from the mountain summit to the ocean.  This land provided the Hawaiians with a large variety of abundant resources that sustained a high quality of life in ancient times.  Each Ahupua’a had a village and an Alii (chief) who kept the land (aina) balanced and productive.  We can learn a lot from the teachings of the Hawaiian ancestors and the sensitivity they had for the aina (land).  In ancient times resources were traded by land and sea with all the other villages and this was the basis for many of the main roads and trails of today.

One thing to keep in mind is that most of the land and thus the trails are either privately owned, in state preserves or within the national park.  There are many areas of Maui that have excellent hiking from ½ day, full day and multiple days which would include camping.  If your going to camp you need a permit, especially in the National Park.  

Don’t underestimate weather conditions.

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There are beaches on every side of Maui but only a few areas on the island have long stretches of beach which make for a nice ½ day strolling adventure.

On the south side of Maui along the north side of Kihei is a long stretch of beach called Maalaea Beach.  It runs from the entrance onto South Kihei Road to Maalaea Harbor.  In the winter this stretch of beach is where Humpback Whales come to give birth and you’re sure to see some offshore.  The mornings are calm but the wind can pick up to amazing strength in the afternoon.

Strolling along Maalaea Beach you may encounter Humpback Whales just off shore in the winter months.

At about the halfway point towards Maalaea, just down from Sugar Beach Resort, is the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge.  It has a raised boardwalk that was completed last year and is a wonderful interpretive walkway where you can observe some of Hawaii’s rarest wetland birds.  Continuing down the beach to the harbor is where you can see, when conditions are right, one of the fastest waves in all the islands.  It’s a lot of fun to watch the locals walk out on the break wall and jump in with their surf and boogie boards right into the breaking waves.

Another beautiful stretch of beaches is on the other end of Kihei just past the Wailea area is where you’ll find Makena or Big Beach.  Though not as long as Maalaea beach it is a spectacular area and popular with the locals.  The sand is steep and waves can be stronger than they look.  Sand skimmers love this beach as the waves suck a lot of water off large areas before crashing onto bare sand.  Good fun if you know what your doing.  If not you could end up getting hammered.  On one end is a towering cinder cone known as Pu’u Olai with an outcrop of lava that reaches out into the ocean. This is what separates Big Beach from Little Beach.  This secluded cove is Maui’s nude beach mecca.  The beach is a short scramble over the outcrop and into a small cove that is protected on both sides from wind and waves.  Sunday nights and full moons are quite a spectacle here with fire dancers and drum circles. There are three parking lots on the way in.  The first one is closest to Little Beach.  The other end has several coves and beaches but pretty much turns to lava rock after that.  There are some great hikes through the lava fields in the La Perouse Bay Marine Preserve at the end of the road.  Bring lots of water and good shoes though, it’s hot and the lava is sharp!

North Shore

Kahana Beach runs from Kahului Harbor all the way to Paia. Kahana Beach Park is next to the airport and is a great place to start.
Kahana is a kite boarding area and even though you might have to cut inland a little you’ll rarely lose sight of the beach.  It is quite remote until you get to the Sprecklesville area where you’ll find Baby Beach and Baldwin Beach parks.This shoreline has small coves protected by rock outcroppings so wear some shoes or sandals you can take off while on the sand and put on to climb the sharp lava rocks.Depending on where you start and end this can be a ½ day or full.  Bring water and a towel in case you decide to go swimming.  Be careful though as the North Shore is exposed to open ocean and can have a nasty undertow and hidden rocks and stumps just off the beach.

West Side

There is a lot to do on Kaanapali Beach. Restaurants, resorts and activities are just steps away from the sand.

There are some beautiful stretches of beach on the west side not to mention some of the nicest beach parks on the island.  However, they are broken up by topography of the land and the near shore roadways.  This makes them great places to hang out for a few hours or do some mellow surfing.  One of the longest beaches on the west side is actually in Kaanapali.  This beach has a path that runs in front of some of the swankest resorts on Maui.  I enjoy playing in the surf and then having lunch at Leilani’s or Hula Grill because these restaurants are steps away from the beach.  Parking can be hard to find, but check behind the Hyatt Kaanapali.  They have public beach access parking stalls.  Otherwise just park and pay at Whalers Village.

I could go on and on about all the wonderful beach walks on Maui but these are a good start and may take a couple vacations to Maui just to get these in.

Aloha Nui Loa

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The entrance to the upper park is a foot bridge suspended above the stream which has stunning views of the Iao Needle.  This park has several pathways that wind through a botanical garden including stairs with railings that lead to paths along the stream.  Some say it is like taking a mini trip to Hana.

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Hiking trails at Oheo Gulch include a 1 mile loop trail along the lower pools and ocean and a 4 mile trail into the mountains. The mountain trail can take between 2 1/2 to 5 hours to complete.

Hana – This is the premier place on Maui to explore on foot and it also can be the most challenging.  The dense rainforest eats up the signage and trails are not well marked except in the National Park.  The Pools of Oheo is your best bet for a safe hike as the jungle can give way to unseen cliffs and loose footing.  Pipiwai Trail is a great trail maintained by the National Park Service.  The first of three bamboo forests has a raised walkway through it about a mile into this 4 mile hike.  At the top of the trail, after gaining 65o feet in elevation, is Waimoko falls.  It is a big waterfall at 400ft high with a large pool.  Be careful though.  This is a slippery rainforest.  Flash floods are also common as rain can fall high above on the mountain slopes and come rushing down as a wall of water to the sunny clear skies of the coast below.  It will take you between 2 1/2 to 5 hours roundtrip depending on how you like to hike.  Me being a photographer it takes me all day.  If you’ve never been to Hana I suggest taking a van tour or a hiking tour.  This is a great way to get your bearings and you’ll have a guide to answer questions and point out great places to come back to on your own time.  This is also one of the best ways to learn about the culture and gain respect for the ‘aina (land).

Tips for Hiking Hana- One of the best tips I ever heard was from a Hana tour van guide who grew up in Hana and told the story from her childhood of how her parents would not let them play alone in the streams until they could hear a stone rolling in the water.  This is because an incoming wall of flash flood water would push rocks out in front of it which was the first warning of impending danger.

The hiking trails at the Pools of Oheo are well maintained by the National Park Service. However, they can get slippery in the rainforest, so wear close toe shoes.

If you do head out to Hana to get some hiking in, be sure your timing is working in your favor.  Although it is a rainforest and rain can happen at any time, early mornings are magical with often clear skies and the trails and roads are empty. For instance, one of the best trails is at the Pools of Oheo leading up Oheo Gulch and the valley along the stream.  This trail can be packed with people rushing up and down it in the afternoons after having spent hours on a twisting, hair raising road.  Some are frantic after trying to squeeze it in before the sun goes down.  They end up rushing and not seeing anything trying to get back to the car before it’s dark. My favorite way to “do” Hana is plan on staying out there for 1 to 2 nights.  I’ve camped at Waianapanapa State Park and the Pools of Oheo, which I always enjoy, but if you’ve got the budget for it there are many vacation rentals and, of course, Hotel Hana is hard to beat.  By staying the night I’m able to be up with the sun, which rises off the ocean on this side of the island.  One of my favorite Maui experiences was hiking along the shore from Hana Bay to Wainapanapa State Park.  On this all day hike I watched, among many amazing spectacles, a pod of 20 Dolphins darting back and forth in a small cove.  Suddenly an 400lb Marlin came clean out of the water a few feet in front of them.  We sat at the edge of a 100ft high seaside cliff and watched them all chase a school of fish around the cove for over an hour while we ate our lunch.  Best lunch I ever had. This is just a sampler of the many hiking trails in and around Hana.  Just remember this is rough tropical terrain, so don’t underestimate the conditions.  Wear close toe shoes and bring plenty of water.  It gets hot and steamy in this jungle!

Aloha Nui Loa

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