Visiting Hawaii - Recommendations?

[Tropicaliste]

So I'll be in Honolulu for a week, and was hoping for some current plant and or tropical fruit recommendations ... e.g. where to buy, when, best selection? I'm going to try to make it to Frankie's. Is sending plants from Hawaii an easy process? Anyone ever done it? Thanks in advance.

[Lionking]

I have purchased lots of plumeria in Maui and brought back to the states.  As long as the have a tag with them that states ok to ship back to stateside,  you’ll be fine.
I have also found it easier to ship it back via US mail instead oh hauling them myself into the airport.
Less luggage to carry.... 

[fruitlovers]

So I'll be in Honolulu for a week, and was hoping for some current plant and or tropical fruit recommendations ... e.g. where to buy, when, best selection? I'm going to try to make it to Frankie's. Is sending plants from Hawaii an easy process? Anyone ever done it? Thanks in advance.

Call Frankies up and ask him if he will pack it in such a way for you that it will easily pass inspection. He used to ship himself, but discontiuned doing that, but might be willing to help you out.

[marklee]

Last time I was at Frankies, Lynn wouldn't pack them for USDA so I just bought the plants and barerooted them at the USDA office at the airport. The people were real nice, they even supplied me with a bucket of water and newspapers and inspected the plants. I hope they are still helping out. After they passed them I packed the plants in a plastic tote and they tagged it. I got some nice unusual lychees, wax jambus and cainito.

[arc310]

Last time I was at Frankies, Lynn wouldn't pack them for USDA so I just bought the plants and barerooted them at the USDA office at the airport. The people were real nice, they even supplied me with a bucket of water and newspapers and inspected the plants. I hope they are still helping out. After they passed them I packed the plants in a plastic tote and they tagged it. I got some nice unusual lychees, wax jambus and cainito.

oh sweet...didn't know you could actually bring back plants like that. i know plumerias were okay...this changes my gameplan next time i go back to hawaii.

hit up chinatown to try what's in season.

[Brebarian]

I don't know what the USDA guidelines for shipping cleaned seeds back are, but the Kapiolani Community College Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings and Frankie's nursery are both a sure bet for finding a diverse variety of locally grown tropical fruit.

The KCC farmer's market is the largest on the island. Frankie's has a stand, and I've seen everything from wax jambu to marang on it. But, Frankie's sells a TON of rare fruit at their nursery that you won't find at the market. I was there two years ago around this time, and they had Fukuda, Keitt and Rapoza mangos, bananas, mangosteen, rheedia, canistel, mafai, longan, and that was probably half of the selection.

I would also check out the other farmers' fruit at the market. A lot of it will be lychee and mango and you won't find grafted trees, but if you want fruit and seeds, those are the two places I'd go.

[palologrower]

I don't know what the USDA guidelines for shipping cleaned seeds back are, but the Kapiolani Community College Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings and Frankie's nursery are both a sure bet for finding a diverse variety of locally grown tropical fruit.

The KCC farmer's market is the largest on the island. Frankie's has a stand, and I've seen everything from wax jambu to marang on it. But, Frankie's sells a TON of rare fruit at their nursery that you won't find at the market. I was there two years ago around this time, and they had Fukuda, Keitt and Rapoza mangos, bananas, mangosteen, rheedia, canistel, mafai, longan, and that was probably half of the selection.

I would also check out the other farmers' fruit at the market. A lot of it will be lychee and mango and you won't find grafted trees, but if you want fruit and seeds, those are the two places I'd go.

They stopped selling at kcc.  This year too much rain so all the uncommon local mangoes are scarce accordingly to them...  At least mangoes from their orchard