Pacific Botanical Gardens, also known as the Moir Garden is a well-known botanical garden that was first opened to the public in 1955 by Alexandra “Sandie” Moir and her husband Hector. Sandie, who loved plants from when she was a little girl, always wanted to create an environment where people could enjoy tropical flora while appreciating their beauty up close without needing special knowledge or training. The garden’s popularity has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings. It is now home to many rare plants and native species, including a range of colorful flowers that you won’t see anywhere else in the world!
Moir Gardens are home to a variety of native Hawaiian plants, but there is one thing that sets this garden apart from others: the dry climate. Lush green foliage and brightly colored flowers can be found in other gardens on Kauai, but here at Moir Gardens, you will not find these common tropical plants like heliconia or hibiscus because it doesn’t thrive well in Poipu’s arid environment. Alexandra Moir knew early on that cacti and succulents were going to be the star attractions in their garden because they flourish so well in such dry climates.
The garden was started by the family as a hobby and has since been transformed into one of the most prestigious cactus gardens in North America, being alongside Huntington Gardens. The plants are admired for their immense beauty from visitors traveling to see them all over. Moir Gardens is a perfect place for any gardener to spend their day. Not only does it boast many species of plants and flowers, but Moir Gardens has been featured in the book “Great Gardeners of America.”
The garden is an oasis of life, as it houses a variety of plants that don’t require much water. Such flora includes orchids and bromeliads, which are both types of flowering plants found in the tropics with leaves adapted to absorb moisture from raindrops rather than relying on the soil.
In Moir Gardens, you’ll find a number of indigenous Hawaiian plants as well as many foreign species collected by William Whitmore Goodall Moir during his world travels. One such example is the ‘wiliwili’ tree which can be found throughout Hawaii and has been used for centuries to make bowls and other wooden utensils from its hardwood timber while coconut trees provide shade in tropical climates around the globe.
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