This month’s bouquet from your favorite Flower of the Month Club is called the Hilo Tropical Bouquet in honor of the largest city on the Big Island of Hawaii. All the elements that make up this bouquet were grown locally within a few miles of the town of Hilo.
The showy flower that resembles an easily recognizable musical instrument is called the Maracas. It is not a gourd filled with pebbles, but a member of the Ginger family! Its scientific name is Zingiber Spectabilis. It is also known as Awapuhi in Hawaii, as well as Beehive, Pinecone and Shampoo Ginger.
This plant is thought to have originated in India and was moved eastward through Polynesia. It is possible that it was brought to the Hawaiian Islands in the canoes of early Polynesian settlers. Maracas is now grown in warmer areas of Central America having tropical climates similar to the South Pacific.
A stunning plant, it reaches 7 foot in height, with long narrow leaves arranged oppositely on the stems. (Dwarf varieties can grow up to 4 foot high.) In mid-summer, separate stalks grow out of the ground with green cone-shaped bracts that resemble pinecones. The green turns red over a couple of weeks, then small creamy yellow flowers appear on the cones.
The uses for this beautiful plant are many and varied. It makes an excellent fast-growing landscape plant in mild areas, with beautiful cone-shaped flowers that are long-lasting both on the plant and in cut arrangements.
The milky substance in the cones is used in several commercial shampoos, and has been used as a hair care product for centuries.
Its medicinal properties are legendary, used as medicine for sprains, indigestion, stomach pains and tooth aches. For sprains, the root was ground with a stone mortar and pestle and the pulp placed in a cloth and loosely bound around the injured area. To ease the discomfort of a stomach ache, the ground, strained root material was mixed with water and swallowed. For a toothache or to treat a troublesome cavity, the cooked and softened root was pressed into the affected area and left for as long as needed.
In addition, your bouquet also has two stems of Red Ginger, known as Alpinia purpurata, which is native to Malaysia. It is also known as Ostrich Plume and Pink Cone Ginger.
Also included are two small Heliconia, very commonly known as Tropic Fleur. These blooms were first grown in Central and South America, but are now widely found throughout Hawaii.
Your bouquet is made even more beautiful with the Raphis Palm that surrounds it, as well as several stems of the always stunning leaves of the novelty Ti plant.
We hope you enjoy your mini-vacation to Hilo!
SPECIAL CARE OF YOUR – HILOTROPICALBOUQUET
We recommend placing your entire bouquet in room temperature water for about 10 minutes. Then cut off the end of each stem at a 45° angle, under water, to prevent air bubbles from blocking the stem’s ability to absorb water. (Use a sharp knife to prevent stem damage.) As always, do not refrigerate.
Arrange the stems in your favorite vase any way you wish, using the enclosed greenery for accent and contrast. (Remove any foliage that falls below the water line to prevent bacterial growth and deterioration.) Display away from direct sunlight and cold drafts, and away from sources of heat such as heat ducts.
Recut the stems and replace the water regularly, every two to three days. You may gently mist the flower heads if you wish. This care will ensure that you will enjoy many days of beauty from all the elements of this vibrant tropical bouquet.
