Hawaiian Grown Flowers- Farmers with a case

Each island in Hawaii is unique in itself.  Hawaii is like no other place on earth. With the perfect growing conditions for the large variety of Hawaiian tropicals. The islands are comprised of several diverse ecosystems, varying from rain forest to desert scrub and coastal strand to alpine. A spectrum of tropical environments, ranging from persistently or seasonably wet to dry, is found in Hawaii, which explains the floral diversity.

Tropical exotics grow deep in the rain forests where there is plenty of rainfall.  The high elevations of Haleakala provide an excellent condition for the protea and the hot and dry conditions of the volcanic soil, on the south side of the islands, is where the orchids and anthurium thrive.

The Hawaiian flower industry has ebbed and flowed within the competitive worldwide market for years. Flower farmers are now finding ways to reach their customers to support the Hawaiian flower market.
Back in the 1990’s, Ronald Reagan, lifted trade export tax to tropical agriculture in parts of South America, flooding our US flower markets, This tipped the flower market in the worst way and Hawaiian agriculture was hurt in a very serious way.  It has taken the farmers years of hard work, to make a successful comeback. They are speaking out and doing their best to not only provide the best flowers, they are encouraging young people to learn the business.

“The quality of the flowers is so much more superior to the South American varieties”, said a local farmer on Maui.  “The flowers from South America are sprayed before they are allowed to leave their countries. Once you receive the flowers, they only last a few days. We really want the people that visit Hawaii, to help support our industry so that we as a state, can be strong economically and the only way to do that is for visitors to buy products from Hawaii.”