Under Construction
Ka'u - n. Name of a district on Hawai'i; poss. My, mine.
a nue nue - nvi. Rainbow.
The Ka'u Protea and Anuenue Protea farms lie on the southern slopes of Mauna Loa Volcano, dug into the lava flow of 1907. Dr. Robert J Armstrong
began our farms in the year 2000 of the English standard calendar, and has since transformed the barren moonscape-like terrain, once the home of only dry Ohi'a trees and ferns,
into a profitable venture thick with blooming Proteaceae year-round.
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The sun rises mauka, over the mountain, in the morning, and dispells the cloud cover of the previous evening. Our Proteaceae prefer the bright morning sun of the mountain side; the warming rays take off the chill without overly drying the air.
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Holes are excavated out of the barren lava field. Once broken up, the A'a, sharp volcanic rock, is removed from the holes which will then be filled back in with volcanic cinders.
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Life on the volcano includes a lot of moving rock. But, the rocky ground, devoid of soil, provides the Proteaceae with adequate drainage.
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Newly planted, a field of rock, with little more than twigs sticking up from cinder bloches. Soon even these young plants will begin to flower. The early flowers are generally twisted off, and thrown to the side so that the young plant will not waste energy on them.
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Hundreds of cuttings and seedlings wait for holes to be prepared. Our farm will eventually support over 3000 individual plants in the ground. Each plant capable of producing ten flowerheads at a time, and hundreds over its lifespan. Cuttings are also prepared for sale to other growers. With over 150 different cultivars, our farm is known for its abundance of varieties.
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picture 5
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picture 6
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picture 7
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picture 8
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O beautiful Pele and strong Kane! bless our farm!
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