That any living thing—seed, insect, plant, animal or human—found its way to Kauai and survived is a mystery known only to the gods of nature. Five million years ago when it emerged from the ocean, the island was little more than a pile of lifeless lava rock separated from any other landmass by more than 2,000 miles. Nevertheless, during the millions of years prior to the first human habitation (between 200 and 300 A.D.) some 6,000 species, largely inedible plants, insects, birds, bats and monk seals, had evolved from about 700 natural introductions.
Many of those native Hawaiian species are now endangered. The National Tropical Botanical Garden, a private, nonprofit organization, operates three botanical gardens on Kauai, all dedicated to the conservation of tropical plant diversity, particularly rare and endangered species. The gardens, two on the South Shore and one on the North Shore, are open for public tours.
NTBG's new Botanical Research Center in Lawai is Kauai's first "green" building. It was built to meet the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council design certification system and includes "green" features like a roof designed to capture rainwater for on-site use, mechanical and electrical systems that will provide multiple back-ups for short- and long-term operation during any emergency, and a reinforced concrete design built to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds.
Limahuli Garden, laid out in a North Shore valley protected on three sides by craggy, mossy-green mountains and overlooking the ocean, is located on Kuhio Highway one-quarter of a mile before Ke'e Beach. Here, rare native species are being nurtured in a 17-acre, national award-winning garden, which is open to the public, and a 985-acre preserve, which is not.
Enter the garden and take a walk through lava rock terraces built by Limahuli's early inhabitants. See taro patches that still thrive here and learn about native plants brought to the islands by voyaging Polynesians.
Self-guided tours are available Tuesday through Saturday. The Garden is closed Sunday and Monday. The three-quarter mile loop trail walk will take about 1.5 hours to complete. Admission is $15 for adults, children 12 and under are admitted free. Garden hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
McBryde and Allerton Gardens, on the South Shore, offer tours departing from the NTBG Visitors Center on Lawai Beach Road across from Spouting Horn. A tour of Allerton Garden takes visitors to a once-private estate in a beautiful valley by the ocean. The Garden is alive with vibrant plant life and native species that have ceased to exist in the wild. Guided tours are available Monday-Saturday. Admission fee for adults is $40. Children are admitted for $20. Children under 10 are not admitted.
A self-guided tour through the diverse McBryde Garden will offer a glimpse of rare and endangered Hawaiian species as well as an international collection of tropical plants. Only self-guided tours are available at McBryde Garden. There is $20 fee for adults, children are admitted for $10, 5 and under, free.
