Introduction to Map and Trail Descriptions
This virtual map and these trail descriptions cover some of the more prominent trails. Many side trails wind through the arboretum grounds and are open to our more adventurous visitors. Feel free to wander around at your own discretion, keeping in mind that we close at 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday and at 3:00 pm on Saturdays. Also, it is important to keep in mind that this is a tropical rainforest, where it frequently rains. Even on days that are sunny, it may suddenly start to rain. It would be wise to be prepared for rain and sun, as well as both mud and mosquitoes. Mosquito repellent and umbrellas are available to visitors at the reception center. You are advised to wear footwear with good traction, since paths can be very slippery when wet.

This is the home of many plants, so please do not pick any of the flowers, fruits, or any other plant parts. They are here to be admired and enjoyed by all. Thank you for your kokua (cooperation).

The trail descriptions will allow you to follow along the different trails. These trails are the easier, more noticeable trails of the arboretum, but they can still be slippery and fallen branches may obstruct the paths. The trail descriptions will point out some of the more prominent landmarks and noticeable plants. Some plants will be followed by a number, which refers to the back of this booklet where the plants are described.

All Trails should be considered hiking Trails and proper footwear with good traction is suggested. For more information on Hiking Safely in Hawaii visit www.hawaiitrails.org

Prior to your arrival to the Arboretum, download
the Arboretum map, small garden map,and Trail Maps.
(Maps are in PDF format. Click the icon to download a PDF viewer. )

Description of Trails

1. Area between Entrance and Parking Lot
Attractions: Herb garden and spice hill

This area, between the entrance of the arboretum and the parking lot area, has landscaped lawns exhibiting various ornamental and garden plants. When you first enter the arboretum, there is a Cashew Nut (1) off to the left side. As the road turns, there is a large Breadfruit (2) tree on the right side and a patch of Lobster Claw Heliconia (3) and Mussaenda (4) on the left side. On the stretch of road to the next bend are Day Lilies (5) on the lower right bank. When the road turns left, there is a patch of Shell Ginger (6) on the right. Behind the Shell Ginger is a large Blue Marble (7) tree. There are more Day Lily (5) banks on the right side of the last stretch of road before the parking lot. The cottages along the left side of the road are used as offices, laboratories, and libraries. There is a huge Cook Pine (8) next to one of the cottages. At the last bend in the road, there is a small patch of Dwarf Date Palms (9) on the left side. On the makai (ocean) side of the parking lot is a large Pseudobombax (10) tree. At the far end of the parking lot is a Century plant (11).

An area of particular interest is just below the main offices and reception center. This area is the Spice Hill and Herb Garden. Visitors with limited time often enjoy walking around this area to see herbs from around the world. There is also a pavilion and pond with a lotus fountain, in the Young Memorial Garden next to the herb garden, where visitors can relax and enjoy lunch.

The spice trees you can find in this area include: Cola Nut, Nutmeg, Clove, Allspice, and Bay Rum. The Herb Garden is separated into islands representing herbs from different parts of the world. The different sections include:
· European, African, Mediterranean
· Asian
· Chinese
· New World
· Gingers and
· Edible Flowers

For more information about herbs, refer to the numerous herb books available in the gift shop.

There are three memorial gardens located behind the gift shop: Stemmermann Memorial Garden, Marion Mapes Memorial Garden, and Elroy Haynes Memorial Garden. These gardens are landscaped with tropical ornamental plants.

2. Walk to the `Aihualama Waterfall
Attractions: Valleys with different theme collections and a waterfall at the end.

The trail to the `Aihualama waterfall starts at the opposite side of the parking lot from the reception center. This is the main jeep road of Lyon Arboretum. There is a gate at the beginning of the trail to prevent public vehicles from entering (reference trail marker 1A). On the right of the water fountain is a pedestrian entrance.

The cluster of palms to the right of the gate is Acoelorrhaphe (12). Under these palms, closer to the gate of the jeep road, is Heliconia magnifica (13). As you walk along the first stretch of road, you will find tall Albizia (14) trees on your left and on your right is a large lawn that leads to the Ethnobotany Section. Towards the end of the first straight stretch of the main pathway, on the left side, is a Warscewiczia (32) tree. On the far side of the lawn, perpendicular to the road, is a line of Banyans (15). There is a Red Jade Vine (16) growing on the bottom Banyan. The road bends to the left and soon forks. The left path leads to the Rain Shelter then back to the parking lot or up to Inspiration Point. The right fork goes on to the waterfall. Past the fork, a unique plant called the Bat Flower (17) is growing on the left side followed by a Spathiphyllum (18) bank. On the right side are large Avocado (19) and Macadamia (20) trees.
Below the road is part of our ginger collection and above the road are our Heliconia and Marantaceae collections. On the left, a little past where the road bends toward the right, is a nice Medinilla cumingii (21) specimen.

The third bend leads into the Aroid Valley. On the left side of the fourth bend is a memorial rock for Harold L. Lyon. The road continues out of Aroid Valley to the next bend, turning left. Up to the left side is the Hawaiian section ridge, where many plants native to Hawai`i are growing. Further down the road to the right is the beginning of the Economic Section, where plants with economic importance are growing (reference trail marker 3K).

Lyon Arboretum is made up of a series of smaller valleys. To the left of the Economic Section is the third valley, where buttressed Banyans and various types of Bamboo are growing. Further down the road on the left side is a Jackfruit (22) tree with fruit-bearing branches growing overhead.
The road opens up and leads to a bend in the road where there is a power pole with `Ie`ie (23) growing off to one side (reference trail marker 4A). On the knoll to the left is the Sanford Memorial Garden. Below the memorial garden is a patch of Uluhe (24).

Around the bend, the palm sections start. The African Palm Section is above the road and below the road is the American Palm Section. The road leads you up a hill and past Red Sealing Wax palms (25) on the left. A little further, on both sides, are patches of Monstera (26). The road leads to an abandoned seismograph station, where the road once again forks (reference trail marker 5A). The left fork, which can be slippery when it rains, leads to the Asian Palm Section and to the Pacific Palm Section. This path will hook back up with the trail to the waterfall. The right fork leads you to a patch of Sugar Cane (27) where the jeep road ends. The trail to the waterfall continues on the left side of the sugar cane. This path leads you through part of the Pacific Palm Section. A little further up the trail, you will be able to hear the waterfall. Before you get to the waterfall, you will pass a patch Heliconia "Richmond Red" (28) on the left. The trail will then lead you around a Podocarpus (29) tree and straight to the `Aihualama Waterfall (reference trail marker 6B).

3. Walk to Inspiration Point
Attractions: A Buddha statue, a bromeliad collection, and a great view at the end.

This walk starts on the trail to the left of the gated jeep road (reference trail marker 1A). By the water fountain, on the left side, you will find two different species of magnificent flowering trees. The first is Saraca (30) and the next is Amherstia (31). A little further down the path, on your right, is a Warscewiczia (32) tree, followed by patches of Blue ginger (33) and Impatiens (34). The palms to the left include Manila Palms (35), and the palms to the right include Bottle Palms (36). This section also holds our Ti (37) collection. To the right of this path are a series of landscaped islands featuring a variety of different ornamental plants.

In the third island on the right, you can find, among other plants, a Rattan Palm (38). Further up, the path opens to a small lawn on the right side. On the opposite side of the small lawn is a Cacao (39) plant. Continuing on the trail you will find another Warscewiczia (32) on the left. When the trail opens up to another small lawn, the Rain Shelter will be directly in front of you (reference trail marker 1B). Off to the right is a Statue of Buddha next to a Bo Tree (40).

On the far side of the Rain Shelter are four large Talipot Palms (41). The path to the right of the Rain Shelter leads down a cobblestone driveway to the main jeep road. The path to the left of the Rain Shelter will lead you through the Fern Valley and Bromeliad Garden to Inspiration Point. Fern Valley has a network of trails. Two main paths run along each side, connected by cross trails. The bottom trail on the left runs next to Golden Bamboo (42), Jackfruit (22), and Breadfruit (2) trees. The upper trail on the right leads past the Bromeliad (43) Garden. A couple of small paths through the Bromeliad Garden bring you to the ridge above (reference trail marker 1G), which leads up to Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point is a lawn area that overlooks parts of Manoa Valley. There is a bench in front of a Shell Ginger (6) patch, which is on the far side of the lawn where you can sit and enjoy a view free of signs of human habitat, yet only minutes from Waikiki.
From Inspiration Point, you can backtrack through the Bromeliad Garden and Fern Valley or you can follow the ridge above the Bromeliad Garden down to an area that opens and leads to a Cobblestone driveway. From there, a right turn leads you back to the Rain Shelter and a left turn leads you to the main jeep road.

4. Beatrice H. Krauss Hawaiian Ethnobotanical Garden
Attractions: Hawaiian Ethnobotanical Plants.

The Ethnobotanical Garden is dedicated to the late Beatrice H. Krauss (1903-1998), who was an admired and influential ethnobotanist at both the University of Hawai`i and Lyon Arboretum. To get to the garden, walk along the first stretch of the main jeep road and down the large lawn to the right. The garden is arranged in a number of different islands, so the displayed plants can be better viewed. The plants in this garden are ones that were traditionally used in the Hawaiian culture. These plants were either brought to the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians or are native to the islands.
On the left side of the Hawaiian Ethnobotanical Garden, when looking down from the main jeep road, is the arboretum's Taro (44) collection. The Taro are grown in lo`i, or Taro pond fields, and are being continuously worked on by volunteers. There are wetland taro, which are grown in standing water, as well as dry land taro, growing in lo`i without standing water.
Between the taro and the rest of the garden is a large Pandanus (45) tree. Some other plants you can find growing in this area include: Kukui (Aleurites moluccana), Kamani Calophyllum inophyllum), Naio (Myoporum sandwicense), Kauila (Alphitonia ponderosa), `Akia (Wikstroemia sp.), Noni (Morinda citrifolia), Wauke (Broussonetia papyrifera), `Ulei (Osteomeles anthyllidifolia), `Ilima (Sida fallax), Alahe`e (Canthium odoratum), `A`ali`i (Dodonaea viscosa), `Ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), `Olena (Curcuma longa), and Mamaki (Pipturus sp.).

If you would like more information about these or any other Hawaiian ethnobotanical plants, refer to the book by Isabella Aiona Abbott, entitled "La`au Hawai`i: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants."

5. Hawaiian Plants Section
Attractions: Plants native to the Hawaiian Islands.

To reach the Hawaiian Section, walk along the main jeep road to the waterfall. About a third of the way there, you will see a sign for the Hawaiian Section on the right side (reference trail marker 2E). The sign points to the left side, where the trail starts up the ridge. Plants native to the Hawaiian Islands are scattered across the ridge.

Some native plants found in this area include species in these genera: Tetraplasandra, Myrsine, Gouldia, Psychotria, Acacia, Colubrina, Rauvolfia, Myoporum, Hibiscus, Pittosporum, Munroidendron, Bobea, Sapindus and Pritchardia.

6. Economic Botany Section
Attractions: Plants of economic importance.

The beginning of the Economic Section (reference trail marker 3K) is along the main jeep trail, on the right side, just a little past the Hawaiian Section. The plants found in this section have economic importance. Three trails in this section run parallel to the road and are connected by cross trails. On the upper trail, closest to the road, you will find calamondin (46) and Lip stick (47) trees among other plants. Heliconia and Ti can be found along the middle trail, as well as Guava (48), Star fruit (49), and Durian (50). Heliconia and palms can be found on the path closest to the `Aihualama Stream.

7. Palm Sections
Attractions: Tropical palms from around the world.

Lyon Arboretum has one of the world's largest palm collections found in a botanical garden. The environment and weather conditions found at the arboretum are ideal for tropical palms. A number of endangered palm species are being grown in the arboretum as a conservation effort to prevent them from becoming extinct.
The Palm Sections begin just beyond the bend past the Sanford Memorial Garden along the main jeep road. About fifty feet past the bend a small trail leads up the left side into the Fourth Valley (reference trail marker 4C), which houses the African Palm Section. Crossing a small ditch (reference trail marker 4D to 4E) to the right, the trail will link up to a trail angling up the ridge through the Asian Palm Section.
On the main road, about fifty feet past the entrance to the Fourth Valley, is a path to the right that will take you into the American Palm Section (reference trail marker 4F). Further up the main road by the abandoned Seismograph Station, the road forks. The left fork leads to the Fifth Valley, which is part of the Asian Palm Section. Working your way to the right through a network of trails will lead you into the Pacific Palm Section (reference trail marker 6A) and eventually to the `Aihualama Falls.