Jacaranda trees in Kula. April 19-20, 2003

All Around Maui: Jacaranda trees in Kula. April 19-20, 2003

The upcountry area of Maui has a climate that is consistently about 10 degrees cooler than the sea-level areas. This region uniquely supports the Jacaranda trees. Green over most of the year, they burst with intense purple flowers once a year for about a month, between April and June depending on the individual year.

Over two days at the peak of this year's bloom, I photographed the Jacaranda trees at the intersection of Haleakalā highway and Kalialinui Gulch. This is pasture land in between the towns of Makawao and Kula. It's about three miles north of our new house in Kula.

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Tree takes a walk in the field by the Jacaranda tree. Exposed volcanic rock of Kalialinui Gulch looms in the background.

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Pastoral upcountry Maui bares its volcanic origin in gulches such as this one, where bare volcanic rock rifts occur in the middle of open pasture land.

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Here's the general setting, looking up the mountain and across the road. Tree was ready to cut them all down with his new battery-operated plastic chainsaw, under the safety of his Home Depot hard hat.

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The view uphill, south, toward Kula town

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The view downhill, north, toward Makawao town

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The view all the way down to sea level, looking west. Ma`alaea Bay. The mountain in the near background is West Maui. The faint mountain in the far background is the island of Lana`i.

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Tree cuts up with his oh-so-real toy chain saw.

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"Right here. The house can go right here."

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Jacaranda trees (purple) and prickly pear cactus. What is the orange tree?

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This one is really about the sky.

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Closeup of Jacaranda bloom

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Bird's nest in the Jacaranda tree

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The site of this gallery is midway between moderately wet Makawao-Olinda, and moderately dry Kula. Prickly pear cactuses appear from here onward toward Kula and beyond. The climate gets more and more dry as one heads south from here. This photo shows a prickly pear plant from a distance of a few feet.

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Prickly pear fruit. These taste good to eat but they have tiny spines on them, so you have to be careful picking and preparing them.

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Closeup of prickly pear fruit. The spines are located in the little nubs appearing regularly over the surface.

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Prickly pear fruit