The flower blooms at night and is so indiscreet, most people pass it by on the lawn of the Kauai Museum.
The flower blooms at night and is so indiscreet, most people pass it by on the lawn of the Kaua‘i Museum.
Alan Akana, an artist, said the flower maiapilo, known in the western world as the Hawaiian caper, is abundant as it paints the cliff walls along Kaua‘i’s south shore, especially at sunset when the blooms start opening.
Akana spent more than a year rendering these flowers during trips along the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail.
He will unveil his recent watercolor of maiapilo, and a slideshow of these flowers as well as photos of his many months spent rendering the blossom during the Valentine’s Party, Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Alan Akana Gallery in Koloa.
In addition to the unveiling and slideshow, Michael DeMotta, the curator of Living Collections at the National Tropical Botanical Garden, has agreed to talk about this spectacular night-bloomer growing on Kaua‘i’s south shore.
Guests will have an opportunity to view new products including a limited supply of 2020 calendars, coffee mugs, and shopping bags from the gallery that feature “vibrant watercolors of the Flowers of Hawai‘i,” and enjoy Valentine’s decorations and refreshments.
Items in the gallery will be on sale with a portion of all sales on Sunday being contributed to the NTBG Living Collections department.
