Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden

Ka mālama ‘ana i ka mo’omeheu. I mea e ola ai mai kēia mua aku. Preserving culture. So that there is life to come.

Explore the Garden

Upcoming Events

Using Natural Dyes of Hawaiian Indigenous Plants to Understand Electrophoresis: Place-based Learning
A Talk By Guest Speaker
Giglia Ann Goochey
Our February speaker is Giglia Ann Goochey, a Hawaiʻi-based educator with extensive experience teaching biology and related sciences in secondary and post-secondary settings. Her presentation, Using Natural Dyes of Hawaiian Indigenous Plants to Understand Electrophoresis: Place-based Learning, introduces a classroom and lab activity that uses dyes derived from plants such as ʻōlena, ʻukiʻuki, and māmaki to demonstrate how charged molecules move through a gel matrix. The talk offers a practical example of how local plant knowledge can be integrated into science instruction and laboratory practice.
When:

Thursday, February 12 at 5:30
Where:

Hale Pulelehua at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden
Followed By:

Ethnobotanical Themed Potluck
If Can:

Bring an ethnobotanically-relevant dish to share

Recurring Events

Eight shirts arranged on table in black, olive, grey, blue, white, red, mustard, and green.

Pure Kona Green Market

Great farmers market featuring delicious food, crafts, and produce from our local artisans and farmers.

Every Sunday: 9 am - 2 pm

Free for all ages

Garden Volunteer Days

Come and join our dedicated volunteers for garden work and having fun. Meet at our Visitor Center, located at 82-6160 Mamalahoa Hwy, Captain Cook, HI 96704, USA to sign in for the day and meet the crew!

Every Saturday: 9 am - 12:30 pm

Free for all ages

Grow Aloha illustration for Captain Cook Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden native plant adoption event every third saturday.

Grow Aloha Plant Adoption

When we grow Hawaiian native plants and heritage crops, we grow aloha for ʻāina. Adopt one of these cherished plants every third Sunday!

Every Third Sunday: 9 am - 12:30 pm

Free for all ages

Learn More

Over 200 native plant species

About the Garden

Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden is a vibrant 15-acre biocultural kīpuka – a protected remnant of land with plants and agricultural features from an earlier era. Located in South Kona, the Garden, which is also an officially designated community forest, showcases over 200 species of native and Polynesian-introduced plants that predate the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778. From culturally significant plants like kalo (taro) and maiʻa (banana) to rare and endangered species like kōki’o (Kokia species), this garden is a treasure trove of Hawaii's botanical heritage. The Garden also includes a fascinating 5-acre archaeological site, preserving the features of ancient Hawaiian agricultural lands that once fed a large population in Kona.

Our History

1400-1700 AD

Kona Field System Established

Establishment of the Kona Field System by Native Hawaiians, featuring large stone archaeological features around which a thriving upland agricultural system developed to feed a population comparable to that living on the Big Island today.

1974

Bishop Museum

The Garden bequeathed by Amy Greenwell to Bishop Museum for the purpose of conserving an example of the historic Kona Field System and curating a collection of native (endemic and indigenous) and Polynesian-introduced “canoe” plants used for food, fuel, fiber and medicines.

1988

Public Opening

After a number of archeological studies and several years of planting and curating a unique collection of native, rare, endangered and useful Hawaiian plants, Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden opened to the public, becoming a beloved landmark for knowledge sharing, cultural activities and nature appreciation.

2019

Community Ownership

After more than 30 years as part of Bishop Museum, the Garden devolved to community ownership, marking a new chapter in a rich history starting with several phases of agricultural production and now transitioning to a new existence as an anchor of biocultural knowledge sharing and a source of enjoyment for local residents, students and visitors for years to come.

The Experience

As you wander through the Garden, you'll experience a variety of ecological zones, from coastal and dry forests to lush agricultural and wet forest areas. It's not just a place of beauty—it's a living classroom dedicated to conserving native plants and supporting traditional Hawaiian land use and cultural practices.

About the Garden