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I'll take the "Plumeria" and "Palm," but you can have the "algaroba" trees!

Ever notice the opening lines of the Charlie Chan family Homepage?

"The cooling caress of a tradewind breeze, carrying with it the subtle perfume of plumeria, gently sways the palms and rustles the glistening leaves of the algaroba trees that shade the house nestled on the upper slope of Punchbowl Hill above the bustling tropical city of Honolulu."

While living in Honolulu (16 yrs) one of the things I truly enjoyed and wondered over was how many flowering trees there are" The sweet perfumes of the Plumeria, the vibrant Queen's Crepe Mertle, the fire-red of the Royal Poincianas, and the whisker-like chins of the Monkeypod trees. All, and there ared many more, make this one of the most beautiful locations in the world.

I had a Plumeria tree right outside my office. So I bought a decorative bowl and each morning picked up about 5 or 6 fresh ones on the ground. Then I put them in the bowl with water. It was amazing how fragrant they were (and how often folks visited :)

However, I have to say my least favorite tree was the Algaroba. I lived in one of the largest houses--and yards--on Hickam Air Force Base. And right in my front yard was one of the largest Algaroba trees around. The thing about an Algaroba tree is it bears these gigantic pods (sort of like night of the living dead) and it sheds them a couple times a year--hundreds of them! For 3 years I tried for "Yard of The Month" (comes with a sign you can stick in the ground and some preferred parking on base that month). However, I couldn't quite make it, and I blamed the Algaroba tree for that. Unlike Charlie, I didn't have 11 honorable children to rake them up every day (only 6 which wasn't enough).

Yet, the Algaroba tree has it's purpose. The tree covers the vast areas of desert-like land on the islands to give shade to otherwise barren landscapes. And the pods are juicy and used as feed for cattle, while it's blossoms have helpedd created the honey bee industry in Hawaii.

So I guess there is beauty in that, and you know the old saying, "Beauty is only skin deep." However, as I first said: I'll stick with the Plumeria and Palm trees--at least in my front yard!

Re: I'll take the "Plumeria" and "Palm," but you can have the "algaroba" trees!

Dear Lou,

It seems that the beauty of the algaroba tree is lost in its multitudinous pods which can litter one's yard! That would be a problem, perhaps, for one lacking 14 kids to clean up after the noted tree, which we can surmise was a chore handed out in the Chan household!

I fondly recall the sweet smell of plumeria at the Honolulu Airport after one leaves behind the wind-wafted smell of jet exhaust. Plumeria's scent added to the warm, moist air...heavenly...

Sincerely,
Rush