Native plants and Grass for landscapeing the land (Hilo: house, neighborhood)

[henry1]

Ok guys throw me some ideas about native plants and grass and fuits to plant on the land after the place is bult ..

Can you give a basic list of your idea plants that do not need alot of watering and still make the place look great after the unit is bult .

[winkosmosis]

Where are you building? That affects what plants you can grow.

[hotzcatz]

Elevation and location on the island will determine the plant list. We've got eleven of the what, thirteen?, possible climate zones on this island, which one are you planting in? I'm at roughly 400' elevation so what grows at my house may not grow at 4,000' elevation.

[henry1]

iam down at the 200 ft elevation area i think ..

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by henry1

Ok guys throw me some ideas about native plants and grass and fuits to plant on the land after the place is bult ..

Can you give a basic list of your idea plants that do not need alot of watering and still make the place look great after the unit is bult .

Henry, again my suggestion is to check out the CTAHR (College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resouces) website. www.ctahr.edu They are the go-to people for this kind of question from an authoritative perspective. They have hundreds of short informative publications at the County Extension office in Hilo on Komohua. There is also a Master Gardener available to consult with. Check with their office for the available times.

The idea is to landscape with species native to your specific area that evolved to fit the climate with NO added watering.

As an example, I was in there the other day asking about the best fruit and vegetables for planting in my new gardens at 4,000' feet in the rainforest. I walked out with a big stack of information. And it looks like a legume called sunn hemp may be the ideal ground cover for my areas where I've killed off the wild ginger that had overtaken my property. It's naturally short, requires no mowing or water, helps suppress weed species, and best of all for my purposes, can simply be tilled under as a green manure anyplace I want to plant something else.

But that might be all wrong for your place.

Part of getting the right answers is knowing who to ask. This forum is not the best place to get the expert advice you need on this topic.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Henry, kudos to you for trying to plan ahead, but this is something that you should wait to do after you are living here. In addition to the advice given by OpenD, you will also find resources among your neighbors. We talk with lots of people in our neighborhood about their experiences, and walk around their land to see what they've been successful (and unsuccessful) growing.

We have a very experienced gardener in our area who gives monthly talk stories about all sorts of issues including soil preparation, pest control, etc. Also at these monthly gatherings we have seed and plant exchanges, which saves the cost of buying.

[mdand3boys]

What subdivision are you in? It matters because 200 feet in HPP in Puna would have a different climate than 200 feet in Kau district. Even subdivisions have micro-climates within them.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

...you will also find resources among your neighbors. We talk with lots of people in our neighborhood about their experiences, and walk around their land to see what they've been successful (and unsuccessful) growing.

Excellent advice. I do that, and several of my neighbors have volunteered advice that has been particularly helpful. And I got really lucky with a neighbor who is a Park Ranger, and who is an expert on dealing with invasive species, like Kahili Ginger and Himalayan Raspberry, in exactly the terrain and microclimate I'm in.