Lyon Arboretum

Lyon Arboretum covers about 200 acres of rain forest and is managed by the University of Hawaii. It specializes on endemic
Hawaiian plants. There are many trails and areas with special collections. It is possible to walk to Aihualama Falls, which was
dry when we were there, and connect to the Manoa Falls Trail. Bring lots of insect repellent. The mosquitoes are ferocious.

Lyon Arboretum has a visitors center where you sign in, get a map of the area, and can make a “voluntary” contribution of
$5/person. There is a parking lot close to the center, with free parking. The only toilets are at the back of the visitors centre.

View from the back of the visitor center.

There are paths leading into the mountains in the background.

Open ground and lawns near the visitor center. The flower in the foreground is a yellow wild Iris, Dietes bicolor, from South Africa.

If you venture into the higher areas, you need good shoes and mosquito repellant. The path can be full of roots and rocks.

A large staghorn fern (left), one of 18 species of the Platucerium family.

There are some information signs near the visitor center, but few signs that identify various trees and plants.

People interested in bird watching will find the arboretum a very rewarding place to visit.

Main paths are wide and easy to walk on.

Most of the time paths go through dense growth with few open views.

The red leaf plant to the left is a Ti leaf plant, Cordyline fruticosa. A tree fern to the right.

Chambeyronia macrocarpa, the red leaf palm.

The path towards the water falls.

A bush with orange flowers, no name.

Orange flowers of the family Clivia.

The trail to the left leads back to the information center, the path to the right to an upper trail towards Tantalus.

The path becomes smaller the closer one gets to the falls. The red flower to the right is a Heliconia, perhaps Heliconia bihai.

Falling rocks are common as the rock bed in Hawaii is porous and brittle. It can be hard for climbers to fasten rope hooks in the rock.

The path to the water falls.

Red sealing wax palm, Cyrtostachys renda.

This sign is close to the falls, and the trail becomes narrow, and would be muddy (and slippery) when it rains.

The red flower is one of around 40 species of Heliconia.

The waterfall – but not much water due to lack of rain when we visited!

One of many varieties of ferns.

This may be a Hawaii giant fern.

Ti leaf

Tropical Bright Green Gecko

Shell ginger.

Ginger

This plant might be a Marantaceae or Calathea

Indonesian wax ginger, Tapeinochilos ananassae.

Bromeliad plants

Red flower clusters growing on a large tree.

The path back to the parking lot, with the visitors center.