Lyon Arboretum is housed within the University of Hawaii in Manoa, Oahu. The tropical rainforest receives a rainfall of about 165 inches. The arboretum is originally open in 1972. The arboretum has a variety of themed gardens. Some of the themed gardens that exist in the arboretum include the Native Hawaiian Garden, Beatrice Krauss Hawaiian Ethnobotanic Garden and Economic Garden.
It offers exhibition on thousands of tropical plants. There are many hiking trails in the arboretum. The arboretum displays many ornamental plants. The first thing you see upon entering the arboretum is the cashew nut tree. Some of the plants you can see include lobster claw heliconia, shell ginger, day lily, dwarf date palms, pseudobombax tree and century plant. The herb garden and spice hill has many herb plants. You can take a walk in the herb garden to observe the herbs plants from different parts of the world. In the herb garden, there is a pavilion and pond. The pond has a lotus fountain. You can sit beside the pond to enjoy your lunch. Several types of spice trees can be found in Lyon arboretum including Cola Nut, Clove and Bay Rum. Lyon Arboretum has 3 memorial gardens including Stammermann, Marion Mapes, and Elroy Haynes memorial gardens. These memorial gardens feature many types of tropical ornamental plants.
You can travel on the trail to Aihualama Waterfall to explore the valleys and waterfall. As you follow the trail, you can view the lush green valleys and forests. You can hear the natural sounds made by the insects and birds. If you visit Lyon Arboretum, the native Hawaiian plants will fascinate you. You will get to opportunities to explore the exotic flora and faunas found in all the Hawaiian Islands such as Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii’s Big Island. By visiting the arboretum, you can increase your knowledge about the various native plants that exist in Hawaii. You will find flower plants, which are used to make the Hawaiian lei. There are over 200 annual flower plants in the Lyon Arboretum. It is estimated that there are 7,500 species of plants from Asia. If you are hungry, you can stop by at the visitors center to buy snacks, books and souvenirs.
Lyon Arboretum is located opposite to the City Water Board of Water Supply. The State conservation land is situated adjacent to Lyon Arboretum. The State conservation land is known as the Paradise Park previously. This park is often confused with Lyon Arboretum.
