If you love the splendor of nature as it’s reflected in a brightly-colored garden that almost-magically bursts into bloom, shedding its glorious beauty on everything around it, you’ll find no shortage of places to feast your eyes on the lovely island of Maui — and no shortage of flower varieties to enjoy. From its surprisingly large selection of floral varieties commonly found in other parts of the world to its stunning array of exotic tropical flower species, the Valley Isle promises any gardener or lover of flora some amazing highlights to a beautiful visit and endless subject matter for their vacation photos. So, make sure you stop by Maui Scooter Shack to rent your two-wheeled “taxi” before taking an impromptu tour of the island’s floral paradise.
A Magical Mix of Floral Beauty
The island offers many hidden pockets of nature’s grandeur tucked away in multiple places for visitors to discover and enjoy. When you rent a moped from Maui Scooter Shack, you’ll have the freedom to explore these natural wonders to your heart’s content, riding the back roads that lead to the enchanting habitat of the incredible mix of native and non-native flora that have become an inseparable part of the island’s identity and a real must-see during any visit to this beautiful island.
The Island’s Breathtaking Botanical Gardens
As if the secret beauty of the plants and flowers that dot the hillsides of Maui weren’t already more than enough, the island paradise further accentuates the area’s native beauty by gathering vast expanses of floral varieties together in several local tropical oases known as the island’s botanical gardens. From the eight-acre Kula Botanical Gardens, located on the slopes of Haleakala, about a half-mile past the 8-mile marker on Highway 37, to its close neighbor, Enchanting Floral Gardens (also eight acres in size), located near the 10-mile marker, Maui offers an incredible array of priceless floral beauty in the form of literally thousands of breathtaking plant varieties.
On the famous Road to Hana, you’ll also find the lovely 27-acre Garden of Eden Arboretum & Botanical Garden, located at mile marker 10-1/2, between Kailua and Kaenae, and featuring the most extensive collection of Ti plants in Hawaii. If you’re game to make the trip all the way to Hana, you’ll find Kahanu Garden a secluded haven of nature where Pacific Island plant collections abound.
If you’d rather stay a little closer to civilization so you can ride your Maui Scooter Shack moped, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, located right in the heart of Kahului, will help you enjoy the island’s rich collection of native and Polynesian-introduced plants. You can also see a wide variety of native flowers, plants, and fruit trees without traveling too far off the beaten path by visiting the 60-acre Maui Tropical Plantation, located near Wailuku.
These very brief descriptions barely scratch the surface of the natural wonders you’ll see when you visit Maui’s beautiful botanical gardens. So, organize your visit well and plan to catch as many of the sights as you can comfortably fit into your schedule. Also, keep in mind that a 150cc scooter rental is required to leave the Kihei area so make sure you plan accordingly.
Lokelani: Official Flower of the Island of Maui
Maui’s official island flower is the beautiful Lokelani, a flower whose name means “rose of heaven,” a definition that aptly captures the breathtaking beauty of this idyllic flowering plant that belongs to the rose family. Lokelani is a plant variety officially known as Rosa chinensis, or Chinese rose. While not quite as fragrant as the original Lokelani variety, Rosa damascena, or Damask rose (which came to be known as the Maui rose), the Chinese rose is, nevertheless, a hardier variety that’s easy to grow and blooms continuously, making it a popular and practical choice to represent the modern Lokelani — and the modern island of Maui.
Whatever sights you decide to see while visiting the beautiful island of Maui, be sure to fit in some time for a moped ride or scooter tour arranged through Maui Scooter Shack. Our goal is to help make your next visit to the Valley Isle a totally memorable one.
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