Virtual Herbarium

Virtual Herbarium
I just found this site from Fairchild Gardens in Florida. It has a lot of good tropical fruit information . 

Breadnut

Artocarpus camansi

Hoja Santa - Root Beer Plant

Last month Loretta, a friend from Kilauea pointed out this plant to me. It had been going wild in my banana patch and I thought it was pretty and had a nice aroma when the stems were broken. Well after reading up on it I will report back on cooking with it. Here are a few ideas courtesy of the Washington Post...Hoja Santa

Peach Palm/Pejibaye/Popunha

Just got a bunch of Peach Palm fruit shown here with a Canistel fruit and Cacao pod.

 I have about six clumps of these palms growing and want more! Good for heart of palm ,  harvested from the stalks.

I like to cook these fruit in a crock pot then use the fruit in salads and soups. A nutty flavored orange flesh with the texture of a dry cooked yam.

Peanut Butter Fruit/Bunchosia argentea

I got this fruit from Frankies Nursery over 20 years ago and now have about five trees scattered around the farm . Its a pretty tree and the fruit really does taste like peanut butter!

Rambutans!

Walking back home from the stand last Sunday when I noticed fruit on the old seedling Rambutan tree we got as a gift from Candice Strong. Its at least 20 years old and a hurricane survivor. Seedling trees aren't the most reliable producers but for the last four years this one has borne fruit every other year. Its a climb to get them and I usually end up topping the tree, but they are sweet .

Acerola or Barbados Cherry

Was surprised yesterday morning to see these Barbados Cherries ready to be picked . We planted this as an experiment about five years ago and pretty much forgot about it. I'm going to try some air layers and hard cuttings and plant more as I think the fruit would make good juice to add to smoothies.

We're Back Open

Good to be back. These Jakfruit grew up fast in the last month

Closed to October 22

Sorry for any inconvenience.

We look forward to seeing you after October 22.

Beehives with pines in distance.

Bees on Norfolk Pine sap

Strawberry Guava

Garlic Vine

Cydista aequinoctialis

Another Kind of Mamey....

Mamey  Mammea americana -  Guttiferae
I'm hoping the seeds sprout.....

Abiu

 Abiu, these are from my trees. A  great fruit that has a refreshing custard like flavor. They vary a lot from tree to tree. My friend Scot has a tree that produces really big ones.

Here's a description from Frankies Nursery web site

Abiu (Pouteria caimito)—The abiu is a small evergreen fruit tree native to South America. The round bright yellow skinned fruits, which are borne directly on the tree branches several times a year, are considered one of the best fruits of the Amazon Basin. The white, translucent flesh is sweet with a slight flavor of caramel with honeydew melon and the texture of a well ripened persimmon. The Gray and Z-2 abius are selections from Australia with good quality fruits that weigh about a pound. The trees need some wind protection with good draining soil.

Albatross Rescue

Last night at closing time we had some excitement . I was getting ready to run our dog when I glanced across the highway and saw this big bird bobbing its head and weaving up the right of way.
Cindy called the Wildlife people out at Kilauea Point and they said a ranger would come by to pick up the bird and not to let it get into traffic.
I ran across the road and picked up the bird known as K547.
Later the ranger said she had already rescued him that morning. He was fledging and that means flying north out to sea for a year.
I hope three times is a charm and that K547 makes it back to Kauai

Huge Pitaya Bloom

Last night about 30 flowers bloomed on the plant in the Mammey tree. Dragonfruit cultivation looks like a good bet in the Kilauea area

Mountain Apple

Some of the first Mountain Apple on a tree I planted about 4 years ago.

These are nice big ones.

Baby Durian

Some young Durian . I hope these reach maturity this year.

I'm planting more young trees to help with pollination.

Starfruit in Flower

It looks like its going to be a good year for Carambola aka Starfruit.
I'm going to post a series of what's ripe or flowering in June.  

First Lotus Flower of Spring

Wonderful flower from Garden Ponds Nursery next door.

Haven't been posting as I've been traveling.

I'll post soon about fruit in season.

Looks like a good year for Lychee and Mango!

Kauai Fresh Farms

A new product from Kauai Fresh Farms, a hydroponic greenhouse operation just up the road. Excellent cherry tomato of the "Favorita" variety, just the best tasting ever...

I always had a hard time growing hydro cherry tomatoes, a lot of leaf but little fruit.

The manager of Kauai Fresh Farms, Dr Kim knows his stuff. He gave a lecture slideshow the other evening at the Kilauea Community Center, the operation was impressive and they have plans to expand.

I can hardly wait for their cucumbers!

Banana Joe's Fruit Stand by Artists

Here are a few depictions of our stand we have accumulated over the years.

The first by a German tourist was sent by her in 1987, a year after we opened.

The second was done as a gift to us by a local artist named Eunice Brandt

Salute to Kauai Farmers

Here's a photo of my friend Sherwood  Conant holding one of his prize winning mini watermelons. Sherwood farmed for  many years here in Kilauea , growing fruits and vegetables. A mainstay of our stand for years, some of his trees are still giving fruit to other farmers. We miss his bell peppers and talk story sessions though. He works for the State Dept of Agriculture and they are lucky to have him as he knows farming  from the ground up.

Springtime Honohono Season

Walking through the orchard last week I caught a whiff of a familiar perfume and I knew right away the honohono orchids were in bloom. Here is one I have mounted in a mango tree. Its amazing how far the sweet perfume can drift. Most of the year they are nondescript stems but then suddenly  in spring they put on a brief show.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today on this first day of Spring I want to send out a Happy Birthday greeting to

my father Tom Halasey. Dad thanks for everything.

Photos:

1926 On the farm with Spike the dog, Attalia,Washington.

1949 Portage Bay Seattle, houseboat at U of W

2002 Kilauea, Tomatoes and Cukes in the greenhouse

Great Day for Fruit

Today after posting my Jabong I found a ripe 27 lb. Jakfruit to pick
and my friend Brad brought in
15 lbs. of Mangosteen from a second flowering! Sweet!

Jabong Season !

Ray Chuan gave this beauty to my Dad. Its a red fleshed type and very
sweet. I think Hanalei grows good Jabong as I used to get some really
sweet ones from Harry Ho who grew them along the river.
Thanks Ray!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Here's a photo from last years"wearin of the green" at Banana Joe's. 

Oliver Shagnasty , a local beekeeper always keeps it festive, giving green carnations to the ladies.

I didn't start the day with a shot of Bailey's Irish Creme but tonight I may toast my Irish ancestors, the O'Hallassey's from Cahirciveen County Kerry. In the place of whiskey we'll have to use shochu from Sakurajima though, those Irish do get around....

Salute to Kauai Farmers

One of the best parts of running a fruit stand is being able to do business with the local farmers. There are some trials and tribulations but overall it is a very positive experience. In this post I'd like to salute Yoshiko and Nobu Tokashiki. 

Longtime farmers in Kapahi, Nobu has passed away but Yoshiko still farms and provides fruit and flowers to her neighbors and friends. When we first started planting banana in 1980 we got keikis from the Tokashikis. For years after we first started our stand I would make the weekly drive and pick up banana, papaya and pineapple . My daughter would be in the car seat and always smile when we pulled in the driveway because Yoshiko would have some treat, Okinawan doughnuts, mochi candy or some goody for her (and me) to eat. This photo I took of them in their pineapple fields around 1989.

Calabash Tree First Bloom!

Its always exciting to see a tree you started from seed fruit. At first I spotted what I thought was a young calabash on a tree, I'd missed the flowering. Then this morning I saw that the small round green thing had opened. Hope we get some fruit set and calabash (Crescentia cujete L.) this year.

Maura's Frisbee Look

Tonight's frisbee look...

Sent by mobile mode

Jade Vine Flowering

A sure sign of Spring approaching is when the Jade Vine starts blooming. They are a spectacular sight and I always try to bring some strands  out to the fruit stand for our customers to enjoy. I don't know to many other flowers that have a green blue color like these

Caimito Season

I just picked the first batch of Caimito this season. The fruit come in purple and green colors.The green variety is from a tree I started from fruit given to me by Delbert Goo about 25 years ago. He was a farmer in the Kalihiwai Valley that helped me a lot when I was first getting started. He was very generous with his time, equipment and knowledge in growing papaya, banana, cucumber .... you name it. It gives me a lift to be picking this fruit and thanking him.The green type I think are a little sweeter than the purple and mature earlier here on our farm.

Winter Flowers

Climbing Pandanus , Freycinetia Multiflora , is in bloom now in front of the Fruit Stand. It gets a lot of attention for its bright orange flowers. 

Happy Valentines Day !

Here's our counter frog holding a Calliandra flower.

Garden Ponds Nursery

Behind our stand is Garden Ponds Nursery. Ken Bernard runs his business with a lot of care and consideration. Water plants are so easy to grow and there is no weeding! Its always nice to walk by early in the morning and get the aroma of lily or lotus flowers in the air.

Canistel

Here in Hawaii Canistel are called Eggfruit. It is not that popular a fruit I think as some fruit just aren't that good. Some of the better varieties are delicious and make a great addition to smoothies. This is a photo of my oldest tree, not much fruit this year as it was windy and rainy during flowering. There are a few though and here is what they look like

Fresh Ginger from Kauai Organic Farms

                                                            Ginger

                                                            Turmeric
                                                            Galangal
                                                                    Phil
Phil Green just brought us in a load from his  farms new crop.

This year we also are carrying Olena otherwise known as Turmeric .

Thai Ginger also known as Galangal , a big thick variety with an extra spicy flavor. 

I won't go into all the uses and things to do with ginger but fresh ginger is the best!

Art Show at Banana Joe's

We are proud to be showing the works of Lupita Poppler this month.I've known Lupita since kindergarten and she is a wonderful artist, surfer, mom and friend.