This lovely 700-acre tropical garden is a nature preserve and bird sanctuary that is family owned and set in a majestic location beneath the strikingly beautiful Koolau mountain range.
Highlights
Highlights of the Garden are 70 varieties of edible fruits and nuts as well as a palm garden with more than 80 types of palms, a rare pili grass slope, and extensive exhibits of plants the Polynesians brought to Hawaii in ancient times including kamani, kukui, breadfruit, noni, and taro. Also featured are native trees such as the fragrant sandalwood tree. A Guided Walking Tour of the gardens covers about one mile at a very leisurely pace that takes about 1-1/2 hours as you meander through tropical flower gardens, fruit and nut orchards (including tasting), stands of exotic palms, and a lush valley of growth that includes many native Hawaiian plants in valleys and on scenic plateaus with the stunning Koolau’s in the background.
The expansive view from the open-air Visitor Center makes it a popular spot for weddings, receptions, and other celebrations. This is also the site of daily lei making classes using the plenteous flowers on the grounds including many plumeria, bougainvillea, and orchids as well as Hawaiian ferns.
History
The gardens had their beginning when Hiram Fong, the first Asian American elected to the U.S. Senate, purchased the plantation in 1950. Hong’s father came to Hawaii from China as an indentured sugarcane plantation worker. Hiram Fong, the seventh of eleven children, passed away in 2004 at age 97. The Gardens have been voted as the “Best Attraction” by the Hawaii
Visitors and Convention Bureau in 1999.
Access
Senator Fong’s Plantation and Gardens is open from 10 am to 2 pm daily except for Christmas and New Years Day. Guided walking tours are provided at 10:30 and 1 pm daily. The gardens are located on Pulama Road one mile off Kahekili Highway (Hwy. 83).