Flora & Fauna

Flora & Fauna

Lanai bucks the "tropical" trend of the other Hawaiian Islands with African keawe trees, Cook pines, and eucalyptus in place of palm trees, red dirt instead of black lava rock, and deep blue sea where you might expect shallow turquoise bays. Abandoned pineapple fields are overgrown with drought-resistant grasses, Christmas berry and lantana; native plants, aalii and ilima, are found in uncultivated areas. Axis deer from India dominate the ridges, and wild turkeys lumber around the resorts. Whales can be seen December through April and a family of resident spinner dolphins drops in regularly at Hulopoe Bay.