Hibiscus
Waimea Valley Botanic Gardens
"If John Walker had never done anything else, his work in creating hundreds if not thousands of new varieties of hibiscus would entitle him to the gratitude of the people of Hawaii." - John Walker obituary, 1928
The first half of the twentieth century marks the golden age for Hawai'i breeders like John Walker, who creates 2,500 new hybrids and sends cuttings from his personal collection around the world.
Pre-1950 Hawai'i hybrids, the theme of this section, are created by a large and diverse group of local breeders, from Matanai Kataka in Honolulu to Lucy Vrooman Cooper of Hau'ula's famed Cooper Ranch Inn.
Desired for their beauty and vigor, Hawaii hybrids are imported by botanical gardens and fellow breeders in Australia, Bermuda, Fiji, Panama, Sri Lanka, and the United States mainland.
John Walker's Hawaii legacy extends far beyond hibiscus hybrids. As the founder of Walker-Moody Construction Company in 1895, he builds many of O'ahu's most iconic
structures and public works, including Honolulu's original sidewalks, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), and the Kalãkaua Crypt at Mauna 'Ala, the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii.
Born in Hiroshima, Matanai Kataoka is the first recorded Hawai'i breeder of non-Caucasian descent. Migrating from Japan in the 1890s, Kataoka works on a Kauai sugar plantation before moving to Honolulu and founding his own hibiscus and anthurium nursery.
Hibiscus
Waimea Valley Botanic Gardens
"If John Walker had never done anything else, his work in creating hundreds if not thousands of new varieties of hibiscus would entitle him to the gratitude of the people of Hawaii." - John Walker obituary, 1928
The first half of the twentieth century marks the golden age for Hawai'i breeders like John Walker, who creates 2,500 new hybrids and sends cuttings from his personal collection around the world.
Pre-1950 Hawai'i hybrids, the theme of this section, are created by a large and diverse group of local breeders, from Matanai Kataka in Honolulu to Lucy Vrooman Cooper of Hau'ula's famed Cooper Ranch Inn.
Desired for their beauty and vigor, Hawaii hybrids are imported by botanical gardens and fellow breeders in Australia, Bermuda, Fiji, Panama, Sri Lanka, and the United States mainland.
John Walker's Hawaii legacy extends far beyond hibiscus hybrids. As the founder of Walker-Moody Construction Company in 1895, he builds many of O'ahu's most iconic
structures and public works, including Honolulu's original sidewalks, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), and the Kalãkaua Crypt at Mauna 'Ala, the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii.
Born in Hiroshima, Matanai Kataoka is the first recorded Hawai'i breeder of non-Caucasian descent. Migrating from Japan in the 1890s, Kataoka works on a Kauai sugar plantation before moving to Honolulu and founding his own hibiscus and anthurium nursery.