Trees of Hawai'i

Surrounded by a vast array of colorful trees and shrubs, many residents and visitors with scant knowledge of botany are unable to find out more about “that tree with the small, pink flowers” or “the one on the corner with the pale green leaves.” Kepler comes to our rescue with this easy-to-use guide and brings alive the kaleidoscopic flora that beautifies Hawai‘i.

• Angela Kay Kepler, Author

  Dr. Angela Kay Kepler is an energetic, old-fashioned naturalist, meticulous researcher, author (of 18 books, including Trees of Hawai‘i and Hawaiian Heritage Plants: Revised Edition), and experimental cook. “Retired” from a multifaceted career as an ecologist, ornithologist, conservationist, and environmental consultant, her passion for bananas and plantains propelled her into becoming the principal international authority on Hawaiian/Eastern Pacific bananas and a key player in banana identification. With her co-author, she revolutionized the art of international banana photography. Kepler holds degrees from the University of Canterbury, University of Hawai‘i, Cornell University, and Oxford University. She has received literary and photography awards for excellence in Hawaiian culture, and two of her books have been bestsellers for nearly 20 years.
  
  A Hawai‘i resident since 1963, Kepler is also an avid organic farmer practicing a high degree of self-sufficiency. Her family’s Pali O Waipi‘o Farmlet on Maui furnishes virtually all their fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and protein (eggs, chickens, ducks, tilapia fish). Their staple carbohydrates are Hawaiian traditional bananas (mai‘a). Her co-author and beloved husband, Frank Rust, assists with banana field research and GPS mapping. He holds degrees from Georgia Tech and the University of California, Berkeley, and worked for 15 years in engineering research and development at the Savannah River Laboratory, followed by 30 years of horse ranching.

• The abundance of colorful trees in Hawaii stirs the imagination of the visitor who wonders what this is, or how that tree got to the islands. With the aid of Angela Kay Kepler’s colorful guide, we can now easily identify the major species, and further appreciate its beauty. . . . [Kepler] has filled her book with colorful photos and crisp, accurate descriptions.
  —Hawaii Magazine
• [This] guide identifies common ornamental and native trees and shrubs of Hawaii and offers information on the history, ecology, ethnobotany, and folklore of the trees.
  —Hawaiian Historical Society Newsletter