Waimea Valley

Entrance to the Waimea Valley

The Waimea Valley is one of the last intact traditional subdistricts (ahupuaʻa) of Oʻahu , which is located in the district (moku) Koʻolauloa on the north coast of the island. The area formerly known as Waimea Valley Audubon Center and Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Garden is now a cultural center on the Kamehameha Highway northeast of Haleʻiwa . The centerpiece is a botanical garden, which is open every day, except for Christmas and New Years . An entrance fee is charged.

The Waimea Valley has long been an important religious center for the Hawaiians. There are stone terraces and walls of historical interest here. Originally, taro roots , sweet potatoes and bananas were cultivated. When the Europeans arrived, orchards were planted here and new types of grain were introduced. The current Botanical Garden was administered by the City of Honolulu and Honolulu County until 2003 . The management was then taken over by the National Audubon Society .

The garden now houses 35 individual collections representing 5000 taxa from around the world. They include species from the families of the arum family , legumes , bromeliads , Helikoniengewächse , lily plants , grasses and begoniaceae well as ferns and tropical fruits. He has one of the most attractive collections of Polynesian plants as well as a highly regarded collection of very rare plant taxas from Hawaii and Lord Howe Island . Other individual gardens are dedicated to the plant species of Guam , Madagascar , the Mascarene Islands , the Ogasawara Islands and the Seychelles .