Brought by Chinese plantation workers in the 1920s and then by soldiers returning from WWII, the hybrid orchid once covered Hawaii Island with lilac, fuchsia and yellow blooms. Entire fields delighted passersby. Families planted them in front yards for ornamentation and for sale. Vanda Miss Joaquim became the most popular flower used in lei.
In 2014 the Hilo Orchid Society, under then-president Julie Goettsch, launched the Orchid Isle Project to do right by the nickname, festooning the island with orchids for popular enjoyment. According to current HOS president Ellen Train, some four thousand orchids have been tied to public trees since. High-profile, moderately trafficked spots where the orchids will thrive are prioritized: in hapuu ferns at the Hilo Airport, on trees lining Hilo's bayfront and along the nature walk at the Mauna Loa Visitor Center. The Kona Orchid Society joined forces in 2022, planting hundreds of orchids in Kona and Holualoa on the island's west side.
A cattleya in bloom, one of the orchid varieties that the Hilo and Kona Orchid Societies have been voluntarily planting in public spaces, ensuring that Hawaii Island lives up to one of its monikers: the Orchid Isle.
All orchids used in the project are donated by society members, professional growers and hobbyists (plants infested with the introduced pest, the little fire ant, will be politely rejected). Heat-tolerant dendrobiums and phalaenopsis are planted around Kona, and cattleyas and oncidiums flourish on the east side and in Holualoa, where it's cooler and rainier. "It's very exciting to see them blooming and flourishing," says KOS president Whitney Steele. Sadly, Hawaii Island's endemic orchids, "remote, rare and not especially showy," says HOS vice president Tom Mirenda, are not part of the project because they're endangered and difficult to acquire. And Vanda Miss Joaquim? It's still used for lei but not in the Orchid Isle Project, as Vanda Miss J is virus-prone—too great a risk even with the project's tool—sterilization protocols.
Orchids can be finicky and the project has faced challenges. Plants die, others fall victim to tree pruning, and umbrellas sprung open in sudden Hilo downpours knock them from trunks. Then, as always, there's Pele. The 2018 eruption affected 50 percent of island growers when lava ran through the orchid-rich Puna district, says Train, hitting the industry hard. "Everyone was scrambling for orchids after the flow, and the project was put on hold," she says, until a generous donation from Kalapana Tropicals jump-started the program in 2021.
Tyings typically occur in spring, when roots are growing strong. Due to insurance requirements, only society members may participate. But those interested in joining are welcome to connect with this knowledgeable bunch, who share their passion for orchids at monthly meetings and at the annual HOS Show and Sale, held each July.
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