D.T. Fleming Arboretum - Projects 2004

FOFA PROJECTS 2004

"Project Plant" 2004

Twenty-one species - 90 total plants - are out of quarantine, ready for outplanting into Pu'u Mahoe's Fleming Arboretum. Upper, middle and lower-story plants will be planted together to maximize space, as well as inspiring landscape designers with interesting plant combinations. Phase 2 of Project Plant begins in June. Project Plant totals 159 plants, 45 species, of which 21 are new to the Arboretum. Project Plant is funded by grants from Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation, A&B Foundation and Atherton Family Foundation, Cooke Foundation and individual donations.
Click here for Grant information.


Native grass (Eragrotis atropiodes) with the endangered Nehe (Lipochaeta kamolensis).	Moa fern (Psiloum nudum) with 'ala 'ala wai nui - a Peperomia from Kanaio.
A walk through Fleming Arboretum explores different combinations of plants that complement each other ... to inspire native planting in our local landscapes.


Kalamoho Fern	Deschampsia nubigrna grass
Project Plant includes ferns and grasses of Maui's dryland forest.

Plants Ready for "Project Plant"

Twenty-one of the species are from the Auwahi Forest and new to the Arboretum,
creating a more complete collection of the endemic Auwahi species.


A'e, 'Alani, Haleakala 'Iliahi, A'e A'e, 'A'ali'i and Mamane	Kauila and 'Akoko

Propagation Workshops 2004

April 17 - Air-layering Workshop


Richard Nakagawa from Maui County's DLNR Nursery, led the workshops. Here he demonstates selecting a branch of at least 45 degrees, so roots will grow down the stem. If the angle is greater, gravity will cause roots to grow up the stem.	Maui Master Gardeners Sue Ellen Barton of Olinda and Walter Sasaki of Wailuku work on selected branches for air-layering. For optimum rooting, branches growing vigorously with large leaves are chosen so they can supply carbohydrates to the newly developing roots.	Walter Sasaki wraps foil around completed air layer to reflect sunlight, which will keep it from drying out during the 2-month wait to form roots.

June 19 - Workshop postponed for 1 month due to minimal root growth, most likely caused by extremely wet weather.

July 17 - Grafting Workshop and Harvest of Air Layers

Native Red Hibiscus root stock and the endangered white hannerae scions were use for the workshop.
Successful grafts create a hibiscus bush with both red and white flowers.


Richard Nakagawa - with assistant Terry Nutt (far left) - demonstrated how to graft. Terry owns A-Nutt Nurseries in Lahaina, a landscape maintenance business with a greenhouse that propagates its own ornamentals.	Participants practice "cleft grafting," making sure cambium of the stock is in contact with cambium of the scion. (Clockwise from lower left: Ed Enomoto, Walter Sasaki, Lora Sasaki, Linda and Charlie Chandler.)


Terry Nutt wraps graft with plastic to keep the scion from drying out while it adheres to the rootstock (usually 2 weeks).	David Clements and Dwane Sparkman perfect their new skill.

A total of 19 students completed both workshops, and each took home their 3 pots of newly propagated native hibisucus.


Job well done ... Linda and Charlie Chandler.	Jan McEwen and Walter Sasaki share favorite jokes.

Tai Domen of Ali'ilani Arborcare does magic on shade trees at cabin.

Tai is a Maui boy raised in Kaupo by well-known parents and owners of Kaupo Ranch Store, Linda and Manny Domen.
Tai became a "Certified Arborist" in San Diego, CA. Maui is fortunate to have his quality of work.


Before	After


Before	After

Seed & Plant Distribution

A concerted effort is made to harvest and distrbute all rare or requested seeds:
Abutilon menzesii, Akoko, 'Ala'a, 'Alani, Hibiscadelphus hualiensis, Lama, Halapepe, Ho'awa, Holei, Kauila, Kolomanu, Kookoolau, Na'u, 'Ohe, Papala, Papala kepau, and Pua Kala.
We share cuttings of the Hinahina and different native hibiscus.


PRESERVATION THROUGH DISTRIBUTION Hibiscadelphus hualiensis seedlings were a gift from Linda Nelson, president of the Native Plant Society, in 2000. Linda collected the original seed in 1980 from Pu'u Mahoe's only tree. Since then, Pu'u Mahoe's tree has died. These offspring of Linda's seedlings planted at Pu'u Mahoe are thriving and producing seeds for distribution.	'Ala'a, Pouteria sandwicensis from Auwahi. 'Ala'a seedlings were donated to the DLNR for the 2004 Arbor Day tree giveway in November at Maui Nui Gardens.


Ko'oko'olau, native Spanish Needle, has lost its thorns adapting to paradise. When in flower they become a carpet of yellow daisies.	Lama, Diospyros sandwicensis from Auwahi, is a sacred wood of traditional Hawaiian culture. In adapting to Hawaii, its persimmon-like fruit evolved to a size small enough to be carried in a little bird's beak ... distribution insured its survival.

Erosion Control

	ARBORETUM PRESERVATION Because Pu'u Mahoe is a cinder cone composed of predominaltly cinder soil, any bare slopes are an erosion problem. Above is one of the problems areas that has been reseeded and kept trimmed to control the weeds. Eventually, grass will take over to control erosion and choke out weeds. Currently, this area has only 50% coverage.

USDA Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) 2003-2004
A $23,536 grant to the landowner that benefits the Arboretum.
This grant implements fencing and removal of invasive species,
progressing the mission to protect species of Maui's dryland forest.
(USDA pay 75% - the remaining 25% by in-kind volunteer work and equipment donations.)

Fencing the 7-acre Arboretum began in 2004, replacing 50-year-old Kahului Railroad ties and rusty barbed wire with pig wire and Kiawe posts.


A 30-foot swath was cleared from both sides of the property boundary to protect new fence from falling trees. This Excavator was the perfect equipment for tree clearing, causing minimal erosion impact.	Logs were used to block cows as old fence was removed and new was installed.


All the original property pins from 1950 were found to accurately align fence within property boundaries (pin in red).	Clearing for fenceline opened up over an acre of Arboretum for future outplantings.